Paul Lawrie is hoping an old pals act can help him play a part in Team Europe’s defence of the Ryder Cup later this year.

The 47-year-old Aberdonian may have little hope of qualifying for the biennial battle with the USA as a player but the former Open champ has not given up hope of getting a role as one of Darren Clarke’s vice-captains.

Lawrie and Clarke have been friends for almost 25 years since they first joined the European Tour in the early 1990s.

And Lawrie, who played on two European sides in 1999 and 2012, would relish the opportunity to be back in the cut-and-thrust of the transatlantic tussle.

Lawrie said: “Darren’s spoken to a few people about who he wants as vice captains and he’ll make that decision after the Open. We’ve had a chat but no official nod yet.

“If you’re not involved as a player, or you’re not the captain, you want to help out in some capacity and if he sees me as having a role in that team then nobody would be happier than me.

“I think he’ll be a great captain. He’s popular with the players, he’s got the respect of the players. It’s a tough job on the back of Paul McGinley who was an exceptional captain but I’m sure he’ll keep a lot in place that Paul started.”

McGinley had five vice-captains for his stint as skipper at Gleneagles in 2014 and Lawrie’s hopes of gaining one this year could be boosted by the return to form of Lee Westwood.

The Englishman and Clarke are as thick as thieves and Westwood would no doubt be handed a backroom place if he doesn’t make the team.

Westwood injected his qualifying bid with renewed vigour after a share of second in the Masters and Lawrie insists he’d be a far more valuable weapon on the course for Europe.

Lawrie, speaking at Archerfield Links for a ticketing launch for his own Matchplay Championship and the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open, added: “If Lee qualified it would make it a stronger team.

“He’s not far off the team just now. You can see him kicking on and getting in. You’d rather have him playing than in the backroom team. He’s a leader on the course.”

Lawrie will be eligible for the Senior Tour in three years, but the Scot is eager to continue competing on the main circuit as well as the over-50s.

He said: “I’m looking forward to the seniors but seeing the likes of Bernhard (Langer) or Miguel (Angel Jimenez) doing so well, there’s no reason why I can’t win on our tour in my 50s. So why would you step down if you still feel you can win on the main tour?”