With the Open Championship just a week away, the PGA Tour heads to Scotland for the Scottish Open in joint partnership with the DP World Tour. With McIlroy, Schauffele, Mickelson and Fowler on the winners list over the last dozen years, this has become a premier event on both tours.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
- Strokes Gained: Around The Green
The Renaissance Club is a relatively new course, designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2008, and is not a traditional linksland course as is often seen with big tournaments in Scotland. It has hosted the last six Scottish Opens and it requires strong putting, going low, form around the greens and some strong history on links courses.
Key Correlation Courses/Tournaments
BEST BET
COLLIN MORIKAWA
Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa has not enjoyed the most productive of times. Morikawa has just a single win since claiming the 2021 Open Championship, winning the Zozo in October last year, but is starting to find some form that made him one of the best players on the planet a few years ago. Since the Masters he has finished Top 15 in all three majors and five Top 10s in his last eight starts with a worst finish of T-16. Ranking 5th in Putting Average, 9th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, 10th in Birdie or Better and 13th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green. Huge chance.
BEST VALUE
TOMMY FLEETWOOD
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood does not have bad tournaments. Ranked 9th on the Data Golf world rankings, Fleetwood won in Dubai in January and has 10 Top 21s in his 15 tournaments since. Always bang on with his irons, Fleetwood has putted exceptionally in four of his last five tournaments. Finished Top 6 in two of his four starts at Renaissance. Ranks 2nd on the DP World Tour in Scrambling, Strokes Gained: Around The Green and Strokes Gained: Tee To Green.
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA
The Scottish Open has produced top shelf winners of late and Matsuyama is just that having a green jacket in his closet. The Japanese star leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Around The Green while he ranks third in Scrambling and fourth in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green. Won the Genesis and finished Top 12 in five of his last six regular season events.
BEST ROUGHIES
DENNY MCCARTHY
McCarthy is an elite putter who is one of the better blowout hopes. He was around the mark again last week in the John Deere. Ranks 2nd in Par 3 Scoring, 3rd in Putting Average, 4th in Scrambling and 15th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green. Looks like a course that will suit his game and in his current form he looks a runner.
THORBJORN OLESEN
The price on offer about Danish star Thorbjorn Olesen is ridiculous. He is a great bet to make the cut, finish Top 40, finish Top 20 and win. Olesen doesn’t have a great record here but this is a course that should suit. Ranks 3rd in Scrambling, 4th in Putting Average, 5th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green and 8th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green. Lovely play this week.
OUTRIGHT TRIOS
SCHAUFFELE/MATSUYAMA/CLARK
The trios market offers some value this week and fancy this one is a good saver. Schauffele ranks on top of the model but is a little short by himself. We see top shelf winners here though and he is airborne while Matsuyama and Clark are both major winners with big chances this week.
BIRDIES: ROUND 1
TOMMY FLEETWOOD 6+
Tommy Fleetwood looks set for a real big week and he knows he needs a strong start to contend. He is putting as well as he has in a long time and he can go exceptionally low. Love him to fire in plenty of birds in the opening round – and across the weekend.