You need only reflect on their post-round interviews 12 months ago to understand why Adam Scott and Stephanie Kyriacou return to their respective venues this week wrestling mixed emotions.

After squeezing in some preparation for The Open at Royal Portrush last week, Scott will play the Genesis Scottish Open for the 11th time having been run down by home-country hero Robert MacIntyre in the 2024 edition.

Kyriacou was also runner-up in her corresponding event of a year ago, denied a major championship triumph when Japan’s Ayaka Furue made eagle at the 72nd hole to steal away the Amundi Evian Championship.

In a sport where winning is so infrequent, finishing second presents the most conflicting confluence of emotional states.

To finish second in such prestigious championships is a mark of success in almost every respect but brings with it the torment of what-ifs and could-have-beens.

“Sucks not to hold the trophy,” was Kyriacou’s typically honest appraisal immediately after last year’s Evian Championship.

“If you told me I would come second at the start of the week I would’ve been happy,” she quickly added.

For Scott, now a week out from his 45th birthday, last year’s Scottish Open was a chance to break a winless drought stretching back more than four years.

That drought is now in its sixth year, making last year’s near miss at The Renaissance Club also one of conflicting emotions.

“Good to be in the mix,” said Scott. “A shame to come up short but Bob did what he had to do to win. Eagle, par, birdie, that’s great stuff.”

Joined by Elvis Smylie and Karl Vilips, Scott is one of three Aussies in the field in Scotland, Kyriacou will be one of nine Australians contesting the fourth women’s major of 2025 in France.

Exempt into next week’s Open Championship in Northern Ireland, Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman will prepare alongside Ripper GC teammate Matt Jones at the LIV Golf Andalucia event in Spain and there are eight Aussies in the field for the DICK’S Open on the PGA TOUR Champions.

Photos: Harry How/Getty Images (Scott); Philippe Millereau KMSP (Kyriacou)

Round 1 tee times AEST

LPGA Tour The Amundi Evian Championship Evian Resort Golf Club, France 3:24pm Karis Davidson 3:48pm* Lydia Ko (NZ) 4pm* Minjee Lee 4:48pm Hira Naveed 5pm* Gabriela Ruffels 8pm* Grace Kim, Cassie Porter 8:36pm Hannah Green 8:48pm* Stephanie Kyriacou 10pm Robyn Choi

Recent champion: Ayaka Furue Past Aussie winners: Rachel Hetherington (2001), Wendy Doolan (2004), Karrie Webb (2006), Minjee Lee (2021) Prize money: $US8m TV times: Live 8pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 9:15pm-12am Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 6pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour/PGA TOUR Genesis Scottish Open The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland 5:06pm Karl Vilips 5:17pm Daniel Hillier (NZ) 5:28pm* Adam Scott 5:39pm Elvis Smylie 10:32pm Ryan Fox (NZ)

Recent champion: Robert MacIntyre Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1973), Craig Parry (1991), Peter O’Malley (1992), Wayne Riley (1995), Min Woo Lee (2021) Prize money: $US9m TV times: Live 5:30pm-4am Thursday, Friday; Live 11:30pm-5am Saturday on Fox Sports 503; Live 11:30pm-5am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.

PGA TOUR ISCO Championship Hurstbourne Country Club (Championship Cse), Louisville, Kentucky 8:45pm Jason Scrivener 3:05am Aaron Baddeley 3:38am Kazuma Kobori (NZ)

Recent champion: Harry Hall Past Aussie winners: Aaron Baddeley (2016) Prize money: $US4m TV times: Live 6am-9am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

LIV Golf LIV Golf Andalucia Real Club Valderrama, Spain Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman, Ben Campbell (NZ), Danny Lee (NZ)

Recent champion: Sergio Garcia Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US20m TV times: Live from 8:30pm Friday, Saturday; Live from 7pm Sunday on 7 Plus.

Champions Tour DICK’S Open En-Joie GC, Endicott, New York Australians in the field: Steve Allan, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Scott Hend, Mark Hensby, Brendan Jones, John Senden, Michael Wright.

Recent champion: Padraig Harrington Past Aussie winners: Prize money: $US2.2m TV times: Live 4am-6am Saturday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Korn Ferry Tour The Ascendant TPC Colorado, Berthoud, Colorado 11:50pm Harry Hillier (NZ) 4:05am* Rhein Gibson

Recent champion: Cristobal Del Solar Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US1m

HotelPlanner Tour D+D REAL Czech Challenge Royal Beroun Golf Club, Beroun, Czech Republic 3:40pm Sam Jones (NZ) 4:30pm Danny List

Recent champion: Benjamin Follett-Smith Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €300,000

LET Access Series Vasteras Open Skerike Golfklubb, Sweden 4:22pm* Kristalle Blum 8:50pm* Abbie Teasdale 9:01pm* Stephanie Bunque 9:12pm Justice Bosio 9:12pm* Belinda Ji

Recent champion: Puk Lyng Thomsen (2023) Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €45,000

PGA TOUR Americas Bromont Open Golf Chateau-Bromont, Bromont, Quebec 10:10pm Tony Chen 11:30pm Charlie Hillier (NZ) 4:10am* Grant Booth

Recent champion: Ryan Burnett Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US225,000

Epson Tour Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship Great River Golf Club, Milford, Connecticut 9:15pm* Jennifer Elliott 2:26am Jess Whitting 2:26am* Su Oh

Recent champion: Daniela Iacobelli Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US225,000

Legends Tour Swiss Seniors Open Golf Club Bad Ragaz, Switzerland Australasians in the field: Mark Brown (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)

Recent champion: Jarmo Sandelin Past Aussie winners: Bob Shearer (1999), Terry Gale (2005), Peter Fowler (2011)