5 Willie Anderson

"To think of nothing but golf while engaged in playing golf is the secret to success," declared Willie Anderson. For we crude amateurs, that kind of thinking usually leads to a series of devastating shanks. For Anderson, just one of a platoon of young Scotsmen who ventured forth to the US in the late 19th century, this complete immersion in his chosen pursuit brought bountiful rewards. Once ensconced on American turf, North Berwick-born Anderson swiftly made a name for himself, both on and off the course. His penchant for, shall we say, the finer indulgences of life added plenty of colour to the character. Tragically, he was dead by the age of just 31 but, by then, the Scot had already left an indelible mark on the history of the game. Runner-up in the 1897 US Open, Anderson would make his major breakthrough four years later at Myopia Hunt in the first 18-hole play-off in the championship's history. Five strokes behind with five holes to play, Anderson reeled off a quintet of successive fours to overhaul Alec Smith and win by a stroke. That victory provided the catalyst for a rousing run of success. He won four US Opens in the space of five years - the first player to achieve that feat and one matched only by Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan - while his hat-trick of successive wins from 1903 to 1905 have yet to be emulated. Anderson remains in the pantheon of greats.

4 Old Tom Morris

He didn't invent the game - he was Old Tom Morris not Ancient Tom Morris - but this redoubtable man will forever be cherished as golf's founding father; a competitor of great longevity, a custodian of the revered links in his role as greenkeeper at St Andrews and Prestwick, a course designer of prolific abundance and a sturdy, patriarchal figure that embodied all that was good and honourable about this grand old game. Four times he won the Open Championship, a feat also achieved by his son, Tom, with the last of these triumphs coming in 1867 as a 46-year-old. He was still playing in golf's oldest major as he edged towards the age of 75. Straight and true off the tee, Old Tom was hindered by a regular tendency to miss short putts, an enduring legacy he has passed on down to millions of golfers throughout the world. With an "unruffled serenity of temper", however, there would be no putters getting snapped over the knee after another tiddler birled round the cup and stayed out. By all accounts, Morris was a humble gentleman. He clearly had a keen eye for detail too. Upon seeing his portrait hanging in the R&A clubhouse for the first time he was reported to have said: "you've got the checks on my bunnet a' wrang." For many, this classic picture of the bearded Morris is the game's iconic image ... wrang checks or no'.

3 James Braid

Long before the 'Fab Four' of John, Paul, Ringo and George came on to the musical scene, there was a 'Great Triumvirate' that soared to the top of the golfing hit parade. In the merry midst of this three-ball was the decorated Fifer, James Braid. Along with Harry Vardon and JH Taylor, the triumphant trio rattled up 16 Open Championship wins among them. Braid himself lifted the Claret Jug five times during a prolific spell between 1901 and 1910 and all of those successes were achieved on Scottish soil. Early in his career, Braid, always a fine tee to green player, endured considerable torment on the greens and it was only when he switched from a cleek to an aluminium putter that his fortunes improved. Of course, the pioneering Braid's impact and influence extended far beyond the boundaries of tournament golf. He was one of the founding members of the PGA, later becoming its president, and was instrumental in elevating the status of the professional golfer. For more than four decades he was the club professional at Walton Heath on the outskirts of London. In the field of golf course architecture, Braid's reputation was equally renowned and lasting treasures remain dotted around the UK, among them the King's and Queen's courses at Gleneagles. Braid's mantra was a simple one. "Keep on hitting it straight until the wee ball goes in the hole," he said. It sounds a bit too complicated for my liking.

2 Sandy Lyle

He was the Big Scot in Europe's Big Five and Sandy Lyle would make a big impact. His spontaneous jig of joy on the 18th green at Augusta in 1988 would not have gained many marks for artistic merit from Len Goodman and the 'Strictly' judges but Lyle's golfing footsteps would blaze a trail on the world stage. The plaudits and tributes were bountiful and justified. "The greatest God-given talent in history," said the late, great Seve Ballesteros of a player who was a Scot by blood rather than birthplace. "If everyone in the world was playing their best, Sandy would win ... and I'd come second." For a spell, in the mid to late 80s, Lyle was the best golfer on the planet and was part of a formidable posse, including Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer and Seve, which launched a purposeful European assault on the global game. Lyle conquered St George's in 1985 to win the Open while his memorable Masters success in 1988 - the bunker and that 7-iron - was the first ever by a player from the United Kingdom. In between, he landed The Players' Championship title in 1987. The donning of the Green Jacket would be the pinnacle of this brief but barnstorming period of prosperity. Amiable and always approachable, Lyle's final regular tour win would arrive in 1992 but, by that stage, his lasting impact on the game was already established.

1 Young Tom Morris.

If Tommy was around today, the Glengarry bunnet and Beau Brummell lapels would no doubt be replaced by a golfing wardrobe full of Nike's finest, figure-hugging clobber while multi-million pound endorsements would be flying around in gay abandon like tee-shots on the Old Course. Forget Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Young Tom was the superstar of ye day; a golfing prodigy of bountiful attributes and accomplishments who became a legend in his own time. Morris's record of four Open Championship wins in a row, the first at the age of just 17, remains an achievement unrivalled to this day. His natural flair and vigour, which he would use to his advantage, captured the imagination of an intrigued and increasingly captivated public and, in many senses, St Andrian Morris helped transform the Royal & Ancient game into a popular spectator sport. "Tommy was the embodiment of masterful energy," wrote one golfing doyen of the Auld Grey Toon. That energy and exuberance would be snuffed out by the time he was 24. Stricken by grief at the loss of his wife during the birth of their stillborn child, Morris, who had began drinking heavily, died on Christmas Day 1875. His father, the great Old Tom Morris, said at the time: "People say he died of a broken heart; but if that was true, I wouldn't be here either." His son's feats ensured a lasting legacy and the Morris family name stands as a colossus in the history of golf.