Franny McGuirk feels that playing golf is ‘in his blood,’ which is hardly surprising considering his family background.

As he prepares to tee-off with the world’s best in next week’s Open Championship, the Prince's Golf Club professional knows he can count on strong family support.

His three brothers and two sisters are all single-figure handicap golfers, while his dad Michael plays off 11 and is the owner of the Sandwich Bay links.

Relaxing in the clubhouse bar after a practice round at nearby Royal St George’s, the former Kent Open champion said: "I first started playing golf when I about three or four, whacking the ball about in the garden. I was about seven or eight when I started playing at Prince’s so it’s always been in my blood."

McGuirk, who booked his Open place by finishing joint second in one of the four Local Final Qualifying tournaments, would love to be drawn in the same three-ball at St George’s as Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, partly because Franny’s parents hail from the other side of the Irish border in County Monaghan.

He said: "Rory is playing brilliantly and he’s got great rhythm. Any of the top English boys like Luke Donald or Lee Westwood would be great as well."

The 37-year-old (pictured) has won three tournaments this year and leads the Order of Merit, and also scored a victory on the Jamega Tour in Warwickshire last month which netted him a £7,000 first prize.

He added: "It’s a dream come true to be playing in The Open at Sandwich. I am going to try to play every shot with a smile on my face.

"It’s going to be nerve-wracking standing on the first tee with all the crowds and television cameras but I think it can be good to have a few nerves."