THERE are worse ways to prepare for the Open Championship today, Thursday, than has been David Horsey’s recent experience.

The 32-year-old says his form is improving with each passing week and the Alderley Edge golfer starts at Royal Birkdale in Southport on the back of a hole-in-one in competition last week.

Horsey, who is attached to Styal Golf Club and is a member of Wilmslow Golf Club, finished tied 43rd with the help of his ace in the AAM Scottish Open at Dundonald Links in Troon.

He shot rounds of 71, 68, 77, and 71 to finish on one under par.

Horsey, a four-time winner of European Tour events, tees off on day one of the 146th Open Championship at 8.25am alongside debutants Younghan Song from Korea and Dylan Frittelli from South Africa.

Frittelli, in particular, will be a familiar foe as he won the Lyoness Open in Austria last month, one shot ahead of Horsey who tied second and equalled the course record 64 in his second round.

The trio will set out tomorrow, Friday, at 1.26pm, aiming to make the cut for the final two days on the uncompromising links course.

This will be Horsey’s second appearance in the Open Championship, having finished 67th in 2008 a year after turning professional.

His place was booked when he tied second in the Turkish Airlines Open last year, his biggest pay day to date as he climbed into Europe’s top 30 golfers.

Career highlights since turning professional are his quartet of European Tour triumphs – the 2010 BMW International Open in Germany, the 2011 Hassan Trophy in Morocco, the 2014 Russian Open and 2015 Made in Denmark event.

Before joining the paid ranks he was the 2005 Greek Amateur Championship winner and runner-up in the 2004 English Amateur Championship, while he represented Great Britain and Ireland at the Walker Cup alongside high-profile Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett at Royal County Down in 2007 prior to turning pro.

It was in his first full season on the Challenge Tour in 2008, when he recorded victories at the Telenet Trophy and the AGF-Allianz EurOpen de Lyon along with seven other top-10 finishes, that he not only qualified for his first ‘major’ at Royal Birkdale but ended the year on top of the rankings to graduate to the European Tour for 2009 and has been a mainstay ever since.

Horsey, who enjoyed his highest Order of Merit finish in 29th last year, was also a member of the successful Great Britain and Ireland team which retained the Seve Vivendi Trophy in 2011.