FORMER Open champion Paul Lawrie hopes the resumption of an old rivalry can spur him on in this year’s championship. The 1999 winner has been struggling with a foot injury but is hoping that playing alongside American Brandt Snedeker in the opening two rounds at Royal Troon will inspire him to greater things. The Scot defeated Snedeker in the singles during the Ryder Cup “Miracle at Medinah” in 2012 when Europe launched a famous comeback to eventually topple the United States. Lawrie has not played alongside Snedeker since that famous day and is looking forward to teeing off with him and Thongchai Jaidee this morning.

He said: “It’s a good draw because I get on well with both of them. Brandt’s a great guy and Jaidee is about the same age as me so I’m looking forward to it. The Ryder Cup match against Brandt will have to be in my top three rounds. I’d played really well prior to the singles but hadn’t won any points. I’d putted really poorly. I’d been asked where I wanted to play and I said if volunteers were needed to go early I would do that because I wanted to put a point on the board. I was put out fifth and was six under for 15 holes. I played lovely. In that situation where you’ve got to do it that was really satisfying.

“I don’t think I’ve seen Brandt since. It was not long after that Ryder Cup that I dropped out of the top 50 so I didn’t play much in America. He’s a really nice guy. I was impressed with him as a person that day.”

Lawrie rolled back the years at the previous Open in St Andrews to sit in third place after two rounds. The 47 year-old hopes to have another positive week in a tournament where – outside that famous win at Carnoustie – he has tended to struggle.

He added: “Apart from 1999 my Open record isn’t the best. I’ve made the cut a lot but never really featured apart from at Carnoustie and St George’s. They’re my only two top 10s. I’ve won it but I want my record to be a bit better. It’s a strange one.

“I was only one off the lead after two rounds last year and had played some nice golf and holed out really well. When you’re in a game like that, expectations are so big, the crowd is willing you on and it doesn’t happen it’s a frustrating situation. It was horrible. The crowd did all they could but we just couldn’t hole any putts. It would be nice to be in that situation again and maybe hole a few early on to get going. From what I’ve seen so far the course is magnificent. It’s bouncy but not rock hard. It’s one of the great venues.”

Lawrie has been troubled by a foot injury and is swithering on whether to have surgery to try to fix the problem. He added: “I had a couple of e-mail exchanges with the surgeon the other day and I’m thinking about not getting surgery now. He’s said for the first time that it might make it worse because of the arthritis in my foot. I’m not sure what to do now. I’ll have to have a think about it.”