“I pride myself in the fact that I was always one hundred per cent loyal to the tour in my playing days, and indeed I continue to be so. These are interesting times in professional golf and I hope I will be able to support, encourage and assist the Tour going forward in any way I can.”

A winner of more than 50 professional tournaments worldwide, Montgomerie was crowned as European No 1 an incredible seven times in a row between 1993 and 1999 before also lifting the Harry Vardon Trophy again in 2005.

On the back of four triumphs in a row, Rory McIlroy has now won the Race to Dubai title seven times and is bidding to equal Montgomerie’s record this year, though current leader Patrick Reed is doing his best to stop that from happening.

“Not right now,” he insisted. “Really just all kind of depends on everything. I mean, I haven't talked to the team back home or anything like that. But, at the moment, I plan on teeing it up there in Riyadh, and I'd be surprised if we're not.”

Is it strictly money or how he feels about the direction of the LIV tour, which is switching to 72 holes for this season after ditching its much-vaunted 54-hole format?

“Yeah, it was a big relief more than anything given the situation I was in heading into the week,” he admitted to The Scotsman, reflecting on a profitable week at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews.

Jamieson had racked up three top-ten finishes in his first seven events of the season only to find himself in freefall since tying for 19th in the BMW International Open at the beginning of July.

Unlike last week’s first leg of a double-header at the Menie Estate venue, crosswinds are not expected to be a major issue due to the wind set to blow from a different direction. It will see the majority of the holes play either into the wind or down wind.

Nonetheless, with a breeze forecast to be a mix of moderate or fresh, the decision has been taken to move six tees - the second, third, fourth, 12th, 16th and 17th - up by one set of tees while the elevated one at the 18th will be three sets forward, reducing it from 651 yards to a mere 586 yards.

“I’d owe them one,” joked Ramsay as he waited to see if either Brown or Jordan Smith would do both him and Forrest a favour, with Brown coming out on top to land an emotional win - a close friend passed away last week - after the English pair found themselves in a two-horse race on the back nine at Golfclub München Eichenried.

“It’s frustrating,” added Ramsay, who finished joint-19th alongside Scott Jamieson, of the position he found himself in with regards to his next assignment. “I was saying to someone there ‘I’m either playing in Gullane next week or Kentucky (laughing), which I have never had anything like in 16 years out here.”

If a non-exempt player had won in Bavaria - both Kiwi Kazuma Kobori and Spaniard David Puig made last-day charges - Ramsay would have found himself in an awful position knowing that a withdrawal on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday would have ended with the same result for him as far as the Genesis Scottish Open was concerned.

“I would be beyond upset,” he said of that scenario unfolding if he was on the other side of the Atlantic. “You want to hold out for as long as possible, but there gets a point where if you get to Kentucky too late you are not going to be able to put up a good show.

“I basically know that I want either Dan Brown or Jordan Smith to win as I know they are exempt whereas Kobori isn’t. It would be an ideal scenario if both Grant and I got in, but I’ve just got to go and enjoy the free Haribo and see what happens (laughing).”

Englishman Dan Brown pictured during the final round of the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried | Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

After winning at the second extra hole, Hill embraced his wife, Miranda, in a celebratory hug on the green before Syme ran on to the green and sprayed the winner with a bottle of water.

Captured by Getty Images photographer Stuart Franklin, an image of Syme up on Hill’s back is, in my opinion anyway, one of the best you will ever see.

It shows pure joy in both cases and, while Hill’s is perhaps self explanatory after he’d just landed a second DP World Tour win after producing an incredible last-round fightback, Syme’s part in it merits some attention.

“The golf courses are two of the best that you will ever play,” said Law of Kingston Heath and Victoria. “It feels a bit of a shame to play them both in the same week, but it was a really enjoyable tournament.”

As she knows better than anyone, it is the only way to ensure that I can't be tempted to respond to anything that might happening in the golf world and, by the looks of things, last week was a good time to be off as it seems that there was nothing really going on away with from the tournament front.

I'm pleased to report that, helped by a couple of games of golf, including a memorable hit at Dumbarnie Links on one of those delightful autumn days, my batteries have been suitably recharged and so has the one for the laptop. That means we are ready and raring to go for a big few weeks on the DP World Tour in particular but the Challenge Tour as well, with that run starting this week with the main focus from the Scottish perspective being on David Law.

There's no point in shying away from the fact that I've not played good enough this season," declared the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open winner. "It's certainly not been through lack of effort or lack of trying, but, for one reason or another, it's not been happening."

At that particular time, Law had just missed five cuts in a row and was outside the top 150 in the season-long standings. He's since picked up valuable points in six of his last seven starts by making it through to the weekend, with a brace of top-30 finishes in Spain boosting his bid to hang on to a card without having to face a return to the Qualifying School in a few weeks' time.

“I need to be really up front about it,” he admitted of his perilous position after signing for an eagle and seven birdies. “I'm aware of the situation that I'm in. I know that I need a big week. It's not just that I need a few good weeks; I need a big week.

“Luckily these events that we're playing now, they are big points. So this is a fantastic opportunity. Look, I'm trying my best. If it happens this week, it happens. If it doesn't, then I've got another three goes I think after. Yeah, I know exactly the situation I'm in and I know the golf I need to play.”

This performance was just what the doctor ordered for the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open winner. “I putted really well,” he added. “Holed a few good putts, and my iron play was solid, which was great. Actually cracked my driver yesterday on the Old Course. So I have not taken this new one on the course yet, but that behaved reasonably well, as well.”

On a day when South African Darren Fichardt set a hot pace with an 11-under-par 61 – his lowest competitive round for 23 years – at Kingsbarns, Jamieson was also chuffed with an opening salvo that contained an eagle and seven birdies. “Well, yeah, what's not to love?” said the Florida-based player with a smile. “You've got Scotland, the sun is out, no wind. It's pretty much the perfect day, isn't it?”

Sitting 84th in the Race to Dubai, his card is safe for next season and more of the same this week and he’ll be in with a chance of being involved in the new season-ending play-offs, with the top 70 getting into the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship then the top 50 teeing up in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

“I felt like the last month or so I've been playing a bit better than my results,” said Jamieson. “So you've just got to keep telling yourself that and you're moving in the right direction. I started the year well, so I would hate to not be in the last couple of events. Big push for the next few weeks, and then hopefully be there.”