Rose and Lawrie to partner Woods at The Open

The world number one begins his bid for a hat-trick of titles - something last achieved by Australian Peter Thomson - at 9.09am on Thursday.

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Lawrie was the winner of the last Carnoustie Open in 1999, but has since slipped to 282nd in the world.

That is even lower than when he beat Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard in a four-hole play-off, having started the final day 10 strokes behind the Frenchman.

Rose's best Open finish remains his fourth place as a 17-year-old amateur at Birkdale in 1998, and he was also paired with Woods at Muirfield in 2002.

Woods was halfway towards a first-ever Grand Slam of all four majors in one season that year, having won the Masters and US Open, but in foul weather on the Saturday his chance disappeared when he slumped to an 81.

He did come back with a closing 65, but finished down in 28th place.

Rose, 21 at the time, out-scored Woods by two with his opening 68 to be only one off the lead, but then scored a second-round 75 and ended up 22nd.

Last December in Australia the Hampshire player ended five years without a victory and at the Masters in April he was one behind Zach Johnson with two to play, but double-bogeyed the 17th and slipped to fifth.

Rose had another chance to end Europe's eight-year drought in the majors - right back to Lawrie's victory - at the US Open last month and was joint third with Paul Casey with a round to go, but finished 10th.

With the Open back in Scotland Colin Montgomerie is bound to attract a huge following as well, especially after his European Open victory eight days ago.

But the crowd choosing him might have expected to see bigger names than Japan's Toshi Izawa and American Stewart Cink alongside him.

Similarly, Britain's top-ranked player Luke Donald, who was paired with Woods at Sandwich in 2003, might be surprised to see Welsh amateur Llewellyn Matthews, a qualifier last week, with him and American Charles Howell.

Padraig Harrington also has an amateur partner. Scot Richie Ramsay earned an exemption by last August becoming the first British winner of the US Amateur since 1911 and, having partnered Phil Mickelson in the Masters and Woods at the US Open, he joins Harrington and former US PGA champion David Toms.

World number two Phil Mickelson partners Lee Westwood and Japan's Toru Taniguchi, while Swede Niclas Fasth and England's Nick Dougherty, Europe's top two finishers at the US Open in fourth and eighth place respectively, partner world number three Jim Furyk, who was runner-up at Oakmont to Angel Cabrera.

The Argentinian has South African Rory Sabbatini and American O'Hair for company, while Masters champion Zach Johnson is with Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and double Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal - if the Spaniard is fit to play after his recent knee trouble.

He is making a decision tomorrow and American Tom Pernice is first reserve.

American Joe Durant will hit the first shot at 6.30am and the last player to tee off will be England's Benn Barham at 4.21pm.