LONDON, (Reuters) – U.S. Masters champion Phil Mickelson is returning to the Scottish Open this year after missing the 2009 edition.

The American left-hander is a regular visitor to the banks of Loch Lomond but was absent from last year’s event and the British Open at Turnberry a week later because his wife Amy was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. “Returning to Loch Lomond … is always a special week for me,” world number two Mickelson said in a news release on Tuesday.  “Everything about the tournament, from the sponsors, to the golf course and the stunning setting at Loch Lomond is as good as it gets in golf.

“I would love to add the Scottish Open to my list of career wins: to be successful in Scotland, the home of golf, is something that every player would love to have on his resume.”

The four-times major champion was beaten in a playoff by Frenchman Gregory Havret in the 2007 Scottish Open.

This year’s event starts on July 8, a week before the 150th anniversary British Open at St Andrews.