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With just one week to go until the final major of the year at Royal Liverpool, the best golfers in the world head to Scotland for the Scottish Open. The event, which is taking place at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, is unique in that it is co-sponsored by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour meaning an elite field is guaranteed.
What’s more, the Scottish Open is also one of five Rolex sponsored events on the DP World Tour meaning the prize money up for grabs this week is as high as it’s ever going to get for players who played on the European Tour.
Last year, Xander Schauffele won the event with a score of -7 which displayed just how difficult this course can play. The American will once again be in the field this week as he looks to become the first player in history to win the title in two consecutive years.
Due to the sacked field, however, the 29-year-old will have a job on his hands. With the action set to begin tomorrow, here are our top five picks for the week:
Best Scottish Open Golf predictions
Contents
Scottie Scheffler – 7/1
There hasn’t been a more consistent golfer this season than Scottie Scheffler, which makes complete sense given the fact he is currently the world number one. Although he has exchanged that spot in the rankings with both McIlroy and Rahm over the past 12 months, Scheffler has secured control of it thanks to levels of consistency we haven’t seen since Tiger Woods.
Scheffler hasn’t finished lower than 12th in any tournament since October 2022 which means he is basically always in contention. He hasn’t won an event since the Players Championship in March but has the form and skills to end that run this week in Scotland.
Rory McIlroy – 9/1
Next week, Rory McIlroy will have one final chance to ensure he ends his major-less run before it reaches the ten-year mark. Considering the amount of prizes and money the Northern Irishman has won in his golfing career, it is astonishing that it has gone on this long but he can put himself in the box seat ahead of next week’s Open Championship with a win in Scotland this weekend.
McIlroy has overcome his driving issues in recent weeks and looks to be back to something close to his best. He has enjoyed five consecutive top-ten finishes which suggests a 24th win on the PGA Tour is just around the corner. At 9/1, he represents excellent value.
Can’t beat the feeling of hitting out of the screws with a persimmon driver. pic.twitter.com/2anUxWwkZE
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) July 12, 2023
Patrick Cantlay – 14/1
After becoming golf’s number one enemy at the start of the year after he was attacked for his supposed slow play, Patrick Cantlay has remained defiant and stuck to his game. It isn’t in Cantlay’s nature to become too emotional about his game which has worked in his favour this season.
The world number four may not have won an event yet this season but his general form has been good. He has secured four top-ten finishes in his last seven events and hasn’t missed the cut in any event since February. Last year, he finished fourth at the Scottish Open which shows he has the game to do well around The Renaissance Club.
Rickie Fowler – 18/1
Aside from Michael Block’s historic run at the PGA Championship, there hasn’t been a better story this year than Rickie Fowler’s return to form. Many people in the world of golf had written Fowler off after his slump down the rankings in recent years but the 34-year-old has come back this season with a vengeance.
After finishing in a tie for fifth at the US Open last month, Fowler has gone into another gear and he secured his first win on the PGA TOUR in four years at the Rocket Mortgage Classic earlier this month. Fowler finished in a three-way tie after four rounds of action before overcoming Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa in a tense finish in Detroit.
There is arguably no one in the field with more momentum behind them than Fowler right now and he should do well again this week.
Tommy Fleetwood – 20/1
Despite having one of the purest swings on the PGA Tour, Tommy Fleetwood is still inexplicably still searching for his first win on the tour. On the DP World Tour, however, the Englishman has six wins to his name so the fact that the Scottish Open is co-sponsored by the DP World Tour could psychologically be a boost for him.
Since working with Butch Harmon, Fleetwood seems to have gone up a level and he has looked good for the most part this season. The 32-year-old painfully lost out in a playoff in the Canadian Open last month before finishing inside the top five in the US Open so the form is definitely there. Additionally, he finished in a tie for fourth at the Scottish Open last year so he likes the course.
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