They led the Scottish challenge together at this month’s Open Championship and mutual admiration was at play as Marc Warren, Scotland’s highest ranked golfer, looked forward to the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay which is being hosted by his compatriot this week.

Inevitably his comments were laced with the self-deprecation that is a national characteristic, but having replaced Steven Gallacher as the top Scot in the world rankings following the Scottish Open, Warren was clearly appreciative of the way his new status was recognised by Lawrie.

“I wasn't sure if I was going to play until last week,” explained the 34-year-old Glaswegian.

“With the Open over-running I was supposed to play in Switzerland last week but decided not to play there. So basically confirmed I was going to play here (and) Paul sent me a nice text straightaway, announced it on Twitter and said he was delighted to have me playing.

“Whether he means it or not, I don't know, but being the highest-ranked Scottish player is a badge of honour I suppose. Obviously Stevie Gallacher has been carrying that title for the last couple of years and Paul before that. The success they have had over five, six years, hopefully I can continue that strong form and push on into the Top-50 in the world.”

Warren has been impressed at the way Lawrie has set about bringing this event to his native Aberdeen.

“I remember having lunch with him in Ireland last year, the week of The Irish Open. He mentioned it was pretty much signed and he had been working on it for a while. You could see how excited he was about it,” he said.

“With the tournaments and how successful he's been, he has that mentality, when he gets his teeth into something, he's not going to back down.

“Once he kind of got his name attached to it, nothing was going to be done by half. It was going to be done properly and getting guys like John Daly and stuff to turn up is all great for the event.”

All the moreso because of the cut-throat nature of an event from which 32 players will depart empty handed today, with no chance to recover as they would have in a standard 72-hole strokeplay event.

Warren, one of six Scots in the field, sets out in the day’s penultimate tie as the second seed against England’s Richard Bland.

Ahead of that much attention will focus on the two most local men who have both been paired with opponents they have happy memories of golfing with.

While Lawrie recalled following Tuesday’s draw that he had been partnered by Frenchman Romain Wattel when he won the Johnnie Walker at Gleneagles in 2012, Ramsay was able to go one better by recounting how he had beaten India’s Shiv Kapur in a matchplay situation in the play-off for the South African Open five years ago and aims to draw upon that memory.

“I had a birdie at 18 in regulation and I birdied 18 in the first playoff hole and I was just very clear in what I could do that time,” said the Murcar course record holder.

“I've got to take that attitude this week with a few people and especially the attitude that I had in the play-off in the stretch on the back nine on Sunday, I was very clear on what I need to do. I need to have that from the first hole on Thursday.”

The only Scot among the morning starters Ramsay will have to vie for the attention of the galleries with Lawrie’s fellow invitee and fellow former Open champion John Daly whose assault on some of the reachable but treacherously well protected Murcar par fours is bound to be a source of fascination.

Typically, for all that he acknowledged that “the rough’s brutal” following yesterday’s pro-am, golf’s “Wild Thing” promised to be having a crack at least at some of them.

“You almost have to for me,” he said when asked whether he would use his driver much.

“Get it down there... at least you can get it close to the green somehow if you miss the fairway.”

Entertainment of one sort or another would appear to be guaranteed.