There was more than one storm brewing for the European tour yesterday on the eve of the £1.1 million sterling Standard Life tournament at Loch Lomond.

Gordon Arthur, director of corporate affairs for Standard Life, and Loch Lomond's club president Lyle Anderson joined together in criticism of the JP McManus Pro-Am in Limerick, which featured several players who are due to compete in Scotland this weekend.

"I wish it hadn't happened. It does not do us any good," said Anderson. "If anyone should have had a pro-am it should have been us."

Arthur added: "I wrote two letters to Ken Schofield (the tour's executive director) and received one reply. He said that pro-ams in the past have not affected tournaments, to which I asked how many have been in a different country before a tournament starting on a Wednesday."

European tour officials Richard Hills and Jamie Birkmyre played in the McManus Pro-Am as invitees.

World number two David Duval was among a number of players taking part in Limerick before flying on to Loch Lomond last night and Arthur stated: "It's hardly the best preparation."

Meanwhile, a tired Colin Montgomerie has admitted that his although his main focus is on next week's British Open, he cannot miss an event in Scotland.

"There's nothing to help confidence like winning," he said, "but it is quite tiring. It does take it out of you and does bring its own problems."

Montgomerie won the event last year by three strokes, but then finished 15th in the Open at St Andrews. Two years ago Lee Westwood won and then came 62nd at Birkdale, while three years ago Tom Lehman triumphed and in his Open defence at Troon was 24th.

Yesterday, Ernie Els warned Montgomerie to expect Lehman's fellow Americans, Duval and Phil Mickelson, to play well on their debuts in the tournament because the course is a US Open-style target golf test.