The Scottish Open, but not as we know it, because fans are missing

Scot Paul Lawrie during the Scottish Open practice day Location: The Renaissance Club, North Berwick Dates: October 1-4 Cover: Highlights from Saturday's play on BBC Red Button (8:00 PM BST) and BBC Two (11:20 PM). Highlights from the last day of Sunday will also be on BBC Two (6:00 pm)

This week's Scottish Open is one of the biggest sporting events to have taken place in the country since the lockdown , with about 600 people on site at the Renaissance Club until the end of the game on Sunday.

That's 124 players, their caddies, coaches, on-site staff and the media, although only eight of the latter are accredited for the entire week.

Only one group that will not be there are spectators, with plans to attend a limited number over the weekend suspended amid an increase in Covid-19 cases .

It's unknown, but the bad weather on Wednesday's practice day at least gave house favorite Robert MacIntyre some sense of regularity.

"This is what we are used to," said the Oban resident. "This brings people back to what left golf is – the course is firm, the wind is blowing, it will be a good week.

"But I'm a boy that thrives [spectators] – if you make a birdie, there's a roar or a cheering. It gives you an extra buzz."

& # 39; Stay within the golf bubble & # 39;

Journalists have had to undergo rigorous testing twice for Covid-19 and have to stay within the golf bubble – stay in designated condos and accommodation as the European Tour try to ensure safety.

There is a small interview room – which is outside for the first time – and social distance will be enforced everywhere. Journalists can't just grab players when they come off the 18th green.

But the Scottish Open remains one of the tour's most prestigious tournaments, a Rolex Series event that comes with a prize fund of just under £ 7 million, the winner being slightly less than raise £ 1 million.

There are 15 Scottish players in the field competing for some of that prize money.

MacIntyre, the highest ranked Scot in the world, is one of them. He recently returned from the United States, where he made the cut at the US Open, and hopes to become the first Scotsman to win the event since Colin Montgomerie at Loch Lomond in 1999.

Americans Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed – regular visitors to the Scottish Open – have decided not to come, but Austrian Bernd Wiesberger will defend his title and England number 17 Tommy Fleetwood is the highest placed player.

Wiesberger was 22 under par when he took victory in North Berwick last year, but MacIntyre says changes to some of the tees mean "it's a very different course and there's also has a snack in it ".

"The score will not come close to what it was," added the Scot.