Before the world of golf heads to Royal Troon for the 152nd Open, a loaded field of PGA Tour stars has made its way to The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, for the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open. Defending champion and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy is back for the first time since his devastating loss to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open.
The Northern Irishman, who is also the betting favorite at +800 (8/1), is joined in the field by 2022 champion Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Tom Kim, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Max Homa, just to name a few.
This week’s winner will walk away with $1.62 million of the $9 million purse and 500 FedEx Cup points.
With Scottie Scheffler missing from the field, it feels like we can finally open up the board a little bit. Let’s jump into our preview.
Golf course
The Renaissance Club | Par 70 | 7,237 yards | Tom Doak design
Course history
Betting odds
| Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
| Rory McIlroy | +800 | Wyndham Clark | +4000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +900 | Robert MacIntyre | +4000 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +1600 | Justin Thomas | +4000 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1600 | Sungjae Im | +4500 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2000 | Aaron Rai | +4500 |
| Viktor Hovland | +2200 | Corey Conners | +5000 |
| Tom Kim | +2500 | Jordan Spieth | +5500 |
| Min Woo Lee | +2800 | Davis Thompson | +5500 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +3500 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | +5500 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +3500 | Brian Harman | +5500 |
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Picks to win
Tommy Fleetwood (20/1)
English golfer Tommy Fleetwood watches his drive from the 11th tee Sunday at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club May 19, 2024
Fleetwood hasn’t been able to get over the hump of winning on U.S. soil yet, so it seems fitting his first PGA Tour win would come across the pond.
In two previous appearances at the Scottish Open, the Englishman has finished T-4 (2022) and T-6 (2023).
Over his last six Tour starts, Fleetwood has finished T-26 or better and is in the middle of a three-event stretch of finishing inside the top 20 (15th at the Travelers Championship in his last start).
Tom Kim (25/1)
Tom Kim tees off on the third hole during the third round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Young Tom Kim, fresh off a playoff loss to Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship, couldn’t make enough birdies during the first two rounds of the Rocket Mortgage Classic and missed the cut. However, I like his chances at The Renaissance Club.
Firm and fast conditions play right into Kim’s game and he’s shown he can perform well at this Tom Doak design.
In 2022, Kim finished third. A year later, he tied for sixth.
Min Woo Lee (28/1)
Min Woo Lee on the 12th hole during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports
Min Woo Lee won at The Renaissance Club in 2021, the final year the event was a DP World Tour event and not a co-sanctioned event between the two tours. Since then, he’s missed the cut (2022) and tied for 35th (2023).
Over his last six Tour starts, Lee has six top-30 finishes and is coming off a T-2 performance at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
His ability to flight the golf ball is exactly what you look for in links golf.
Brian Harman (55/1)
Brian Harman plays his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Harman shot a 62 in the final round of the Travelers Championship in his last start to finish off his T-9 performance. A week earlier, he tied for 21st at the U.S. Open.
Firm conditions at The Renaissance Club will help his lack of distance off the tee and after missing the cut in this event in 2022, Harman tied for 12th last season.
Tom McKibbin (80/1)
Tom McKibbin plays his shot from the second tee box during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Who?
That’s right, folks, we’re digging deep.
McKibbin is a one-time winner on the DP World Tour and played some fantastic golf in June. He finished T-8 at the European Open, T-41 at the U.S. Open, sixth at the KLM Open and 2nd at the Italian Open.
At last year’s Scottish Open, McKibbin grabbed a share of 35th.
Let’s put some respect on his name.
