The PGA Tour heads across the Atlantic this week for the Scottish Open, an event co-sanctioned with the DO World Tour.
The event will feature 75 players from each tour as well as a few other players from around the world.
It is a packed field with many of the best players from around the world getting in their final preparations for next week’s open Championship. Rory McIlroy is the only player from the world’s top 15 that is skipping the event.
The Renaissance Club is a proper links course. A real test of the style of golf that the PGA Tour so rarely sees so a great way to get ready for next week. Links golf so often comes down to experience. Learning how to play on these courses takes time. That’s not to say somebody can’t learn quickly, but often it is best to look for players that have played here before or done well on similar styles.
Rickie Fowler has not been at his best for a while, but there are some genuine signs he could be getting back. He was excellent at the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland earlier this week and he has often excelled on this style of course. 110/1 is a big price and certainly one that is tempting if you fence Rickie to carry on his resurgence.
🗣️"I picked up a local, Steve did a great job on the bag."
Rickie Fowler speaks to @NathanMurf after going -5 on Monday at the @JPProAm.
🗣️"We had a couple of pints at the turn [in Tralee]."
🏌️⛳ pic.twitter.com/VGjyiEC7gz
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) July 5, 2022
He did well in the Pro-Am but Xander Schauffele followed up his win at The Travelers with a win just two days later in Ireland. He is at the top of his form and 18/1 (fourth favorite) feels generous. He finished 10th here last year and has done well at the Open as well so there’s no knock on his links form.
He just feels too big of a price, even if winning back-to-back can be very hard. He shot the new course record around Adare Manor and will be full of confidence. There are very few negatives for Schauffele. It is hard to see why he is six points longer than favorites Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler.
Home players get a lot of a support and that makes Robert Macintyre an interesting prospect. Two top 20s years in 2020 and 21 is solid course form and he is a player that has played very well on links courses. We’ve seen him up there in big events and he can do so again. 75/1 is a good price and makes him very backable on home soil.
Back-to-back fourth place finishes at the Scottish Open is going to make Lucas Herbert a very well fancied name this week. Course form holds up very well at links courses and Renaissance should be no different. 55/1 makes him another player at a big price that has a lot of appeal.
