By Will Pearson, europeantour.com
in St Andrews
Santiago Luna will launch his defence of the SSE Scottish Senior Open alongside Englishmen Simon P Brown and Jamie Spence when play gets under way at Fairmont St Andrews on Friday.
The Spaniard, who prevailed by one stroke 12 months ago to claim his maiden Senior Tour triumph in just his sixth start, tees it up from 0950 in the company of two-time European Tour winner Spence and Brown, who had a magnificent debut season in finishing fifth on the Order of Merit in 2013.
In the threeball directly preceding the defending champion at 0940, Irishman Des Smyth and two-time Scottish Senior Open winner Sam Torrance are grouped alongside Englishman Paul Eales.
Home favourite and course designer Torrance and five-time Senior Tour winner Smyth are both prepared for a busy couple of months having been named vice captains for Paul McGinley's European side for the upcoming 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
Elsewhere, Barry Lane, who won the Scottish Senior Open in back-to-back years at this venue from 2010, has former European Number One Ronan Rafferty and David J Russell for company from 1010 while red-hot Rick Gibson, who won his first Senior Tour title at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open last month before a tied third place at the Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex, hits the links at 1040 with the Scottish pair of Ross Drummond and Gordon Brand Jnr.
Reigning Senior Tour Number One Paul Wesselingh, meanwhile, is off at 1000 alongside former Masters Tournament champion Ian Woosnam and 25-time winner Carl Mason while 2013 Rookie of the Year Steen Tinning plays the first round alongside former Ryder Cup skipper Mark James and England's Gary Wolstenholme from 1100.
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