Olympic-inspired Ko relishing Scottish Open return

Lydia Ko had nary thoughts of taking clip retired aft her Olympic golden badge arsenic nan New Zealander believes this week's Women's Scottish Open is perfect mentation for adjacent week's Open astatine St Andrews.

The 27-year-old is portion of a beardown section astatine Dundonald Links that includes 5 of nan world's apical 10 players, 18 past awesome winners and 36 who took portion astatine nan Olympics successful Paris.

Ko feels invigorated by her Olympic acquisition and said: "We had 30,000 fans each time and I deliberation it was genuinely a ceremony of athletics and yet play was afloat integrated into nan Games.

"Playing successful nan Olympics and representing New Zealand was 1 of nan biggest honours of my life. I deliberation it's decidedly a large dream that I deliberation galore juniors, not conscionable golfers, but successful different sports, should dream of becoming because, if I tin do it, they tin do it, too, for sure."

Ko wanted to play nan Scottish Open to hole her for links play earlier adjacent week's major.

"I conscionable wanted to benignant of instrumentality to my schedule and I deliberation it's a bully thing, particularly benignant of playing into thing arsenic large arsenic The Open," she said. "I ever bask playing links and we don't really get to play these type of play courses very overmuch successful nan year."

World number 2 Lilia Vu, nan highest-ranked subordinate successful nan field, was delighted pinch "really beautiful" upwind that greeted Wednesday's pro-am but realises that is improbable to beryllium nan lawsuit for each 4 rounds.

"I deliberation my extremity this week is conscionable to beryllium adaptable to nan weather, immoderate it is," she said. "I cognize immoderate upwind is going to beryllium coming in."

Defending champion Celine Boutier, who vanished 18th astatine nan Olympics, views nan changeable upwind arsenic conscionable "part of nan acquisition of Scottish courses".

"It's very bully to beryllium coming backmost present - a batch of bully memories here," she said.

For Scottish number 1 Gemma Dryburgh, winning her location tourney is simply a "dream of mine" arsenic she looks to emulate compatriot Bob MacIntyre's triumph successful a world-class section astatine this year's men’s Scottish Open.

"Watching Bob triumph astatine Renaissance was truthful inspirational," she added. "I sent him a connection and conscionable said really proud we are of him.

"It's conscionable astonishing to spot what he's done nan past twelvemonth aliases truthful - well, fewer years, actually. It would beryllium awesome to benignant to travel successful his footsteps."