Glasgow's Marc Warren will square up to Englishman Richard Bland in the first round of the inaugural Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay Championship at Murcar tomorrow.

The 34-year-old, who is now Scotland’s top-ranked male golfer at No.58 on the world order, is one of 64 players teeing up in the knockout event that also features tournament host Lawrie and former Open champ John Daly.

Warren’s fellow-Glasgow man, Scott Jamieson, faces a testing encounter with three-time European Tour winner Thomas Aiken of South Africa.

Meanwhile, Bearsden’s former British Boys’ champion Ewen Ferguson began his challenge in the Fairstone Scottish Amateur Championship with a 4&3 win over Scott Graham of Arbroath.

Haggs Castle’s Barry Hume, the national champion at Downfield back in 2001, was another first-round winner after easing to a 5&4 victory over Erskine’s Michael Daily.

But Kilmacolm’s Scotland cap Matthew Clark fell at the first hurdle after a 3&2 defeat to Longniddry’s Michael Bacigalupo.

In the day’s early second-round ties, Williamwood’s George Burns continued his progress with a 3&1 win against Kenny MacAskill from Auchterarder.