Phil Mickelson is a late addition to the field at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in what is the last links event before the British Open next week.

The Castle Stuart event, which starts on Thursday, features a strong line-up; Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Ernie Els, Francesco Molinari and former major winner Angel Cabrera will all compete.

The 34-year-old Donald will celebrate 52 weeks, in sum, as world number one this week and he is favourite to defend his 2011 Scottish Open title at +800. Only eight Europeans’ have troubled the top of the official world golf rankings and only Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo have been Number One for longer.

Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson heads to Inverness in desperate need of some form after failing to shoot par in seven consecutive rounds of golf. Mickelson entered the Castel Stuart event last year and despite only finishing 58^th the event clearly put him in good stead for the Open Championship, where he finished joint second, his best ever finish at the Open.

Old lefty is a longshot +2500 for the Scottish Open, but he is a player to watch out for at the Open next week, especially if he goes there on the back of a great performance in Scotland.

Padraig Harrington is second in the betting for the Scottish, at +1400, and given his pedigree around links golf courses, he looks a smart bet this weekend. The double Open winner, in 2007 and 2008, looks back to his very best and performances have started to tally with results. A tie for fourth at the US Open and then seventh at the Irish Open indicates that his work with sports psychologist Dave Alred is helping his game.

The Irish Open was held on a links course this year and with the Scottish offering a possible four rounds of preparation for the oldest major in golf, there should be plenty of players fully tuned into the demands of links golf.

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Here are the latest odds for the Scottish Open:

Check out these facts ahead of your betting:

• Most wins 3 Ian Woosnam 1987, 90, 96
• Consecutive wins None
• Low 9 holes 28 (-7) Peter O’Malley 1992

28 (-7) Colin Montgomerie 1992

• Low 18 holes 60 (-10) Paul Curry 1992
• Low 1st 18 holes 62 (-9) Sergio Garcia 1999

62 (-9) Retief Goosen 2001

62 (-8) Bernhard Langer 1992

• Low 1st 36 holes 128 (-12) Mark Brooks 1992
• 128 (-12) Paul Curry 1992
• Low 1st 54 holes 196 (-17) Ian Woosnam 1987

196 (-14) Bernhard Langer 1992

196 (-14) Peter Mitchell 1994

• Low 72 holes 262 (-18) Peter O’Malley 1992
• Low 72 in relation to par 264 (-20) Ian Woosnam 1987
• High winning score 289 (+1) Ian Woosnam 1996
• High winning score to par 289 (+1) Ian Woosnam 1996

Check out our British Open coverage here, starting with a course guide of Royal Lytham & St Annes

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