Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson, two of the world’s top five players, will occupy the front row of the grid alongside Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton for Wednesday's curtain-raising Pro-Am event to the the European Open at The London Club, Ash.

The tournament proper gets under way on Thursday, but beforehand Hamilton (pictured) will drive into the north Kent venue, close to Brands Hatch, to tee up alongside world number five Stenson at 1pm on Wednesday in the Pro-Am.

Stenson won The Players Championship on the US PGA Tour last month, while Garcia is in Kent looking to go one better than last year when he finished second to England’s Ross Fisher.

The field for the European Open boasts no fewer than 14 of the world’s top 50 players, including Masters winner Angel Cabrera, last year’s Harry Vardon Trophy winner Robert Karlsson of Sweden, two-time European Open champion Lee Westwood, and one of the world’s most exciting young talents in Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlory.

Defending champion Fisher will travel to The London Golf Club with confidence high after his duel with Paul Casey at Wentworth Club on Sunday. Fisher made a bold bid for the title with a final round of eight under par 64.

"It’s going to be tremendous to go back to The London Club to defend my title," said Fisher, who will attempt to become the first player since Westwood in 2000 to retain the trophy.

Ben Curtis returns to Kent - the last time the American competed in the county, in 2005, he won the Open Championship at Royal St George’s.

The European Open starts with Wednesday’s Pro-Am, featuring a shotgun start at 1pm, before the tournament proper gets under way on Thursday morning.