Perth hotshot Min Woo Lee will face the strongest field ever assembled for a regular DP World Tour event when he defends his Scottish Open title this week.

The tournament is the first to be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and 14 of the top 15 players in the world are teeing up on Thursday at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.

After playing most of the year in the US, Lee returned to Europe at last week’s Irish Open and is hoping history will repeat this week.

“I feel like my game has improved from playing in America,” Lee said.

“Courses are tough over there and I’ve been playing really good and been able to lock in a little bit and feel like every week I’m learning something new.”

Lee finished tied 58th in Ireland and says adjusting his feel to play links-style golf will be critical over the next fortnight as he builds towards next week’s British Open at St Andrews.

“Last week in Ireland the greens were really soft so it was very different to America,” Lee said. “It was a bit of an adjustment. Bit windy, something I’m not used to. The next few tournaments are really important to me. The field’s very strong and I need to do well the next two weeks.

“Next week is obviously the important one but I take these two with really good care.”

Much has changed in the 12 months since Lee’s final-round birdie blitz set up his play-off win over Belgium’s Thomas Detry and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, winner of last month’s US Open.

The alignment of the US and European tours for the Scottish Open had been decided well before the rival Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour got off the ground.

But despite the display of unity this week, several LIV defectors will compete in Scotland after their suspensions were temporarily lifted.

Ian Poulter, Justin Harding and Adrian Otaegui will play, as will South African Branden Grace, winner of the LIV Portland event last week.

American world No.15 Billy Horschel criticised the players who joined the rival tour, labelling them liars and hypocrites.

“They decided to go play on that tour and they should go play there. They shouldn’t be coming back over,” Horschel said.

“Those guys made their bed. They say that’s what they want to do. So just leave us alone.”

But the LIV situation has ultimately improved Lee’s chances of playing his way on to the International team for the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow in North Carolina in September.

“Being on a team and that camaraderie, I don’t think anything beats that,” Lee said.