Ernie Els has never ducked a challenge, so it was no surprise to hear him welcome Ross Fisher to the Barclays Scottish Open, which gets under way at Loch Lomond tomorrow.

Els regards the tournament as almost his own property, having won it twice and finished third behind Frenchman Gregory Havret last July.

Yet Fisher's looming presence, coming in the wake of a wire-to-wire victory in the European Open last weekend, is one Els is happy to recognise because he was among the first to spot the Londoner's talent.

Fisher, 27, is a product of the junior scholarship scheme at Wentworth in Surrey, where Els has a home and where the world No6 also plotted a revamp of the famous West Course.

The South African said: "I've watched Ross grow up, right from his days on the club's scholarship programme all the way through to him joining the European Tour a couple of years back.

"From an early age you could see the potential he had and it's great that he's winning tournaments."

Fisher, who turned professional four years ago, won the European Open in remarkable fashion. Feeling fatigued after playing six tournaments in seven weeks, including his US Open debut, he turned up for the first round at the London Club in Kent having not played a single practice hole - yet still carded a course-record 63.

And on Sunday he clinched a mighty seven-stroke victory over Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia by wedging in from a bunker at the last hole for a birdie.

Fisher's first-prize of £400,000 somewhat eclipsed the fiver he earned for picking up balls hit by Tiger Woods on the Wentworth practice range ahead of the World Match Play 10 years ago.

But he has been on the verge of banking riches of that order for some time. In last year's PGA Championship on home turf at Wentworth, Fisher was joint leader going into the final round, but fell away with an horrendous 84.

The mental strength that will surely stand Fisher in good stead in tournaments to come held firm in the wake of that disappointment.

He said: "I went home, put my feet up, and told myself to forget what had just happened and move on. You know, I'm a very positive person, I try the best that I can every single day and I took a lot from Wentworth. I showed myself I could compete."

Indeed, he could, taking Phil Mickelson to a play-off in the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai at the start of the current campaign.

A big man at 6ft 3in, with a booming drive built to beat the wind, it might be worth keeping an eye on Fisher in next week's Open Championship at a Royal Birkdale course open to weather fronts blowing in from the Irish Sea.

"As an amateur I played a lot of links golf and I'm looking forward to it," he said. "With the amount of golf I've been playing, hopefully I won't get to the stage where I'm feeling shattered again come Sunday night at Loch Lomond.

"A few guys have said that when you turn up at a major the adrenaline will kick in. But if I am feeling tired maybe I'll not play a practice round. It worked last week, so why not?"

Fisher will tomorrow lock horns again with Mickelson, the world No2 who has a point to prove at the course after dropping a crucial shot on the 72nd green there last year and then losing to Havret at the first extra hole.

The field also includes world No3 Adam Scott, in-form Lee Westwood, and Colin Montgomerie.