THOUSANDS of golf fans are set to flock to Troon this week as The Open tees off.
The 152nd edition begins on Thursday at Royal Troon for what will be the tenth time it will be staged at the famous Scottish links golf course.
And the world’s biggest golf stars, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Scottie Scheffler – as well as Scotland’s own Robert MacIntyre – are preparing to battle it out for the Claret Jug on one of golf’s most iconic courses.
A total of 156 former champions, qualifiers and top-ranked players combined will take part in the four-day competition in Ayrshire.
And they will be cheered on from the sidelines by their supportive wives and girlfriends.
From influencers, university students, fellow golfers and even caddies, these stunning gals will be rooting for their beaus on the fairways.
Erica Stoll – Rory McIlroy’s wife
American beauty Erica Stoll has been by Rory McIlroy’s side as he bagged multiple championships throughout his career.
The 36-year-old used to work for the PGA when she met Rory, 35, in 2012, so she understands the pressure the tour can bring and plays the role of supportive partner.
She wed the Nothern Irishman in 2017 at a star-studded ceremony on the grounds of Ashworth Castle and three years later they welcomed their little girl Poppy into the world, who is now three years old.
But the couple hit a rough patch and in May earlier this year, they announced a shock divorce.
Luckily the couple decided to work on their marriage and made a u-tun with the golf star saying that they realised their “future is best as a family.”
He was spotted wearing his wedding ring again this week as he prepared for The Open.
Shannon Hartley – Robert MacIntyre’s girlfriend
Blonde bombshell Shannon Hartley has often been spotted at tournaments cheering on her beau Robert Macintyre, 27.
Lefty golfer Bob likes to keep his relationship out of the public eye, but it is reported that the lovebirds have been going strong ever since they started dating in mid-2023 with Shannon first appearing on his Instagram.
Little is known about Shannon but she was seen by Robert’s side at the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and then the Ryder Cup Gala Dinner in Rome the following September.
The couple then moved to America ahead of the 2024 season so that Robert could play more on the PGA Tour.
Speaking to BBC Sport before the tour started, he said: “When I’m in America, it’s just me, my girlfriend, and we’re trying to live as good a life as we can. But it’s difficult when we’re both so close to family and friends”.
Annie Verret – Jordan Spieth’s wife
Annie Verret, 30, and Jordan Spieth, also 30, have been childhood sweethearts after meeting at high school in Texas.
The lovebirds stayed together despite going to different colleges and now live in their incredible £5.9million mansion in their native Dallas.
The couple announced they were engaged in 2018 after Jordan popped the question in January and went on to tie the knot in November that year.
Annie is frequently spotted at Jordan’s side and supported him when he ended his long winless run in 2021 by winning the Texas Open by two shots.
More of a career woman than a traditional Wag, Annie is an event coordinator with the First Tee of Dallas which is an organisation which uses golf to mentor young people.
Meredith Scudder – Scottie Scheffler’s wife
Meredith Scudder, 28, and Scottie Scheffler, also 28, are another couple who found love in their high school days.
The childhood sweethearts dated long distance for four years during their university years before Scottie proposed in 2018 at the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Texas while they were out on a hike together.
They then tied the knot in a gorgeous Winter Wonderland-themed wedding in 2020.
And they welcomed their first child together into the world earlier this year with events manager Meredith giving birth to their son Bennett in May.
Meredith told Golf Digest that she always thought Scottie was a “super humble” guy in high school who was “really down to earth”, and even as his career progressed, she explained that his “amazing accomplishments”, “weren’t the most important thing about him”.
Maya Lowe– Xander Schauffele’s wife
Maya Lowe, 32, has been by Xander Schauffele‘s side for ten years after they began dating in 2014.
She is often seen at various tournaments and even caddied for Xander, 30, in the par-3 contest at Augusta last year.
The golf pro likes to keep his private life private and often doesn’t talk about Maya, who is fluent in Japanese.
But they have had a big part in each other’s lives and after winning The Greenbrier Classic in 2017 he even joked “Usually, I only kiss my girlfriend” after planting one on the trophy.
The couple got married in Las Vegas back in 2021 just one week after the US Open at Torrey Pines where their two dogs attended, all dressed up for the ceremony.
Amy Mickelson – Phil Mickelson’s wife
After having their first date on a tennis court back in 1992, Amy Mickelson, 52, and Phil Mickelson, 54, fell in love.
The couple met while they were studying at Arizona State University and four years later they got married, living happily together ever since.
But the couple, who now have three children together, got a scare after Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.
Phil put a hold on his PGA Tour on hold to help care for her and after 11 months she beat the deadly illness and was given a clean bill of health.
Phil then made his return to golf and went on to win his thrid Green Jacket at the 2010 Masters while Amy co-founded the Birdies for the Brave charity in partnership with the PGA Tour, which honours and appreciates service members of the US Armed Forces and their families.
Anna Canning – Ewen Ferguson’s girlfriend
Scots golf star Ewen Ferguson, 28, almost missed out on The Open this year but managed to seal his spot with a stunning victory at the BMW International Open in Munich.
The Glasgow-born ace was happy to simply be playing after a recent health struggle and was emotional after he secured his third victory on the DP World Tour and his first for almost two years when he won by just two shots.
Outside of golf, Ewen has never been shy about his support for Rangers, previously revealing how he likes to wind up his Celtic-supporting caddie.
But he does like to keep his family and romantic life private, and not much is known about his girlfriend Anna Canning.
However, according to Essentially Sports, the couple love to travel and frequently visit Dubai and other desert landscapes as they explore new destinations together.
Lilia Schneider – Bryson DeChambeau’s girlfriend
Bryson DeChambeau, 30, is reportedly dating the stunning Lilia Schneider– although the couple have never made it official.
The student, who is just finishing her sophomore year at Marian University in Indianapolis, also loves playing a round and her game should improve from coaching tips from her new fella.
According to US outlet OutKick, the LIV Golf star’s ex-girlfriend Hunter Nugent confirmed that DeChambeau had moved on.
And it seems that Lilia is on track to becoming “the next great Instagram golf influencer like Paige Spiranac” after gathering more than 50,000 followers on Instagram and 150,000 on TikTok with her golf coaching videos and bikini pics.
She explained the decision to share scantily-clad images online to her TikTok followers in 2021: “I used to be very insecure and hate my body. So I decided to do something about it”.
Katherine Zhu – Collin Morikawa’s wife
Golf must always be the topic of the day for Collin Morikawa, 27, and Katherine Zhu, since they’re both involved in the sport.
The 28-year-old stunner spent four years playing at Pepperdine University and earned multiple WGCA All-American honours.
Vancouver-born sensation Katherine loves her man and the sport so much she is often spotted on the PGA Tour caddying for him during competitions.
The loved-up couple got engaged after The PGA Tour Champion popped the question in November 2021 and they married a year later in November 2022.
Speaking to Golf Central in 2020, Collin said Katherine has “been by my side through it all” and that he felt “very lucky to have her”.
He added: “She would hate me if I didn’t say this, but I didn’t start winning in college until she showed up in my life, so thanks Kat.”