What a difference a week makes. The John Deere Classic featured a field with only two players in the top 75 of the OWGR rankings, but now we get the Genesis Scottish Open, where the big names are back in action.
The Scottish Open is a partnership event where PGA Tour members get a chance to get a links course test ahead of next weekend’s The Open, while DP Tour Members head to Kentucky for the Barbasol Championship.
This is the first year that the Scottish Open is an official PGA Tour event but the 40th year in the tournament’s existence as a whole.
This is the fourth straight year this event will be held at the Renaissance Club, a links course described by some as “American Links.” Drive accuracy and iron play are going to be the keys to this weekend, so let’s see who oddsmakers like as the Scottish Open betting favorites.
Jon Rahm 11/1
Rahm is the betting odds favorite for the upcoming weekend, playing for the first time since his disastrous 74 in the final round of the U.S. Open. That was still good enough for a 12th-place finish.
There are four reachable par 5’s at the Renaissance Club as well as a drivable par 4, so Rahm being fourth in the PGA in driving distance gives him some value here.
Justin Thomas 12/1
Thomas has had some mixed results since winning the PGA Championship in late May. He finished third at the RBC Canadian Open but also missed the cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge and finished 37th at the U.S. Open.
Thomas finished 8th at this event last season, shooting a 65 in two of his rounds, so course history comes into play.
Scottie Scheffler 12/1
Scheffler is probably going to be in contention during the final round because that’s just what the world #1 does. He’s finished in the top 20 in four straight tournaments, including a couple of runners-up at the Charles Schwab Classic and the U.S. Open.
It could be a windy weekend in North Berwick, so Scheffler being one of the best pure ball strikers in the game, gives him an edge.
Xander Schauffele 18/1
Schauffele took last weekend off after his big victory at the Travelers Club Championship, and now he hopes to pick his momentum back up on a unique course.
Much like Scheffler, expect Schauffele to be in the mix on Sunday as he’s finished in the top 20 in six straight tournaments he’s played. Schauffele also finished 10th at this event last season.
Matt Fitzpatrick 28/1
This almost feels like a home course for 7X DP World Tour champion Fitzpatrick. He finally broke through with a U.S. Open win in his last Tour event and finished runner-up at the Scottish Open last season after losing an evening playoff to eventual winner Min Woo Lee.
Fourteen of the top 15 players (except Rory McIlroy) in the world are participating in this event, so there’s a good chance a heavy favorite will come out victorious.
