There will be county interest among a high-class field in North Berwick this weekend, as Tour players, club professionals and amateurs compete in the inaugural Aberdeen Asset Management (AAM) Scottish Open qualifier.

The new event, which is part of the PGA Scotland’s Tartan Tour and has a £50,000 prize fund, takes place at North Berwick Golf Club tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, and will give five golfers a chance to play in next week’s Scottish Open at Gullane.

An impressive field of Scottish golfers will include a trio of European Tour winners – Scott Drummond, Alasdair Forsyth and Stephen McAllister.

Elliot Saltman, of Archerfield, leads the Challenge Tour contingent taking part, with a number of players passing up an event in Germany to take part at North Berwick, with a place in the impressive Gullane field to play for.

A number of PGA professionals will also be in the field, with North Berwick’s Martyn Huish and Gullane’s Alasdair Good among those trying to secure their spots alongside Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson next week.

Good told Courier Sport he would have to be on top form to make it through, but he is looking forward to playing at North Berwick this weekend.

He said: “I’ll have to be playing my best golf but it would be nice if I made it [to the Scottish Open].” Also among the field this weekend will be Calum Hill, who cut his teeth as a member at Tantallon.

Sandy Jones, PGA chief executive, is looking forward to the inaugural event.

He said: “This event is a superb addition to the Tartan Tour. Our leading players will relish the opportunity to compete for a place in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, one of the premier events on the European Tour.” Meanwhile, Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, added: “We are very proud of our Scottish roots and so we aim to support Scottish golf at all levels of the game. We are thrilled to be giving promising Scottish golfers the opportunity to play in their own Scottish Open through this qualifier.

“What a story it would be if a Scottish player went on to win The Open at St Andrews, having qualified through North Berwick and then Gullane!” Spectator entry to this weekend’s event is free, and Mike Cantlay, VisitScotland chief executive, believes it is an “excellent addition” to Scotland’s sporting summer.

He said: “With so much talent on display at North Berwick this weekend, this free event will not only be a treat for golf fans, but it will also whet their appetite for some of the outstanding sporting action to come over the coming months.

“All of these events will further cement this country’s global reputation as the home of golf.

“The Scottish Open qualifier at North Berwick is an excellent addition to this country’s spectacular summer of golf, which comprises nine professional events including the AAM Scottish Open, The Open Championship and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.” For the six winners, the prize will be a place among the illustrious field for the Scottish Open, which gets under way next Thursday (July 9).

Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Gullane next weekend as the Scottish Open comes to East Lothian for the first time.

For full information on the AAM Scottish Open, visit www.aamscottishopen.com