Turnberry's Mhairi McKay will be the top hope of a home win at today's £155,000 Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies' Scottish Open at the Carrick, Loch Lomond.

While Scottish No.1 Catriona Matthew and Glasgow's Janice Moodie are both missing, McKay has made the effort to fly back from the LPGA Tour in America to support the 54-hole event.

And the 33-year-old would love to be rewarded with a second professional title to set alongside the 2003 Women's Australian Open.

"I always love coming home to play in Scotland," said McKay. "I really enjoyed the course when we played here last year and it would certainly be fantastic to win this week."

McKay has had an up and down start to the year in America, but she has produced some really low scores and the hope is that she can put three of them together this week.

Clare Queen, Lynn Kenny, Jenna Wilson, Kathryn Imrie and former Solheim Cup Captain Dale Reid are the other Scots chasing the £23,000 first prize

Three Scottish amateurs - Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle), Kelsey Macdonald (Nairn Dunbar) and Megan Briggs (Kilmalcolm)- have also been invited. 

Sweden's Sophie Gustafson defends the title she won last September.