This article is part of our Golf Picks series.
Genesis Scottish Open Betting Preview
The PGA and DP World Tours come together this week for the final tune-up event before the Open Championship -- the Genesis Scottish Open.
With this year's Scottish Open being co-sanctioned by two Tours, we will see a stronger field than usual, as the best on both sides of the pond will be on hand. Rory McIlroy is the lone player among the top 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking taking the week off, but it's unlikely you will notice with so much talent teeing it up. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 3 Jon Rahm headline the event and are the co-favorites at 12-1. Last year, long shot Min Woo Lee -- at a whopping 140-1 -- knocked off Matt Fitzpatrick and Thomas Detry in a playoff for his second DP World Tour victory.
The Renaissance Club took over as host in 2019 and is as a par-71 at just under 7,300 yards. The track features five par-3s and four par-5s and plays as a links style course. There are some trees throughout the course, but not many, and we will see deep bunkers and long fescue rough. Strokes Gained data was collected the last two years, and neither winner nor any of the runners-up finished top-10 in SG: Off-the-Tee, showing that driving play is somewhat negated at the Tom Doak design that will play firm and feature tight fairways.
I'll look to target players that play well from tee to green, as players will need all facets of their game, including creativity around the putting surfaces.
All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4:00 PM ET Tuesday.
Renaissance Revelers
The following five golfers, with a minimum of two appearances, have the lowest scoring average at The Renaissance Club since 2019.
- Justin Thomas: 66.9
- Erik van Rooyen: 67.9
- Matt Fitzpatrick: 68.0
- Henrik Stenson: 68.0
- Lucas Herbert: 68.1
Thomas tops the list, having recorded top-10s in his two appearances over the last three years. He may have been more of a factor last year if he hadn't been mediocre with his putter, as he ranked third in SG: Tee-to-Green. He struggled with his short game at the U.S. Open, but the biggest question mark will be Thomas' back, as he withdrew before the start of the Travelers Championship two weeks ago. Nevertheless, if he's at 100 percent he will be difficult to fade. A bit further down the board is Herbert, who has saved some of his best golf for this event, posting back-to-back top-5 finishes. The long-hitting Australian -- who checks in with 55-1 odds -- is rounding into form, posting a T13 at the PGA Championship and a top-10 at last week's Irish Open. Herbert's best asset is his feel on the greens, as he ranks second on the PGA Tour in SG: Putting.
Tee-to-Green Titans
These players, on a per-round basis, gained the most strokes from tee to green over their last 20 rounds.
- Scottie Scheffler: 2.33
- Matt Fitzpatrick: 2.11
- Xander Schauffele: 1.93
- Will Zalatoris: 1.89
- Justin Thomas: 1.83
It may seem like it has been a while since Scheffler's stretch of four wins in six events, but he has kept the momentum going, gaining over eight total strokes from tee to green in each of his last four tournaments. He will look to improve upon his Scottish Open debut last year in which he finished in a share for 12th and ranked sixth in SG: Off-the-Tee. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick will look to go on a Scheffler-like run of his own after grabbing his first PGA Tour victory in his last start at the U.S. Open. He has made the cut in all three of his visits to The Renaissance Club and leads the PGA Tour in SG: Tee-to-Green this season. He'll likely be a popular choice -- and with good reason -- at 18-1.
Genesis Scottish Open Bets: Outright Picks
Collin Morikawa (28-1)
Morikawa has been a puzzling player to handicap this year, as he has posted four top-5 results in 10 stroke play events on the PGA Tour but also six finishes outside the top 25. That makes him a great choice for an outright pick, especially when you consider he has won five times over the last two years. Morikawa's last two wins came overseas, including last year's Open Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood (45-1)
Fleetwood may be a popular pick, and that's because he plays so well on links courses. That includes a runner-up finish at the 2019 Open Championship and another at this event in 2020. He has played better following a disappointing 2021 campaign, posting three top-10s in his last seven starts.
Sebastian Munoz (100-1)
Munoz continues to trend upward, with his last missed cut coming 13 starts ago. That makes him a great target if you're looking for a long shot to wind up on top. His stats are much better than you would expect for someone in this price range, as he ranks top-40 in the four primary Stroke Gained categories.
Genesis Scottish Open Bets: Top-10 Wagers
Cameron Young (11-2)
Young doesn't have any professional experience on a links style course, so that will be a question he will have to answer. However, he has responded to uncertainty all season and could easily have a couple wins. I can't find a weakness in his game, and there is no reason to believe he can't compete overseas.
Chris Kirk (15-2)
Kirk is making his first start at this venue, but it's hard to pass him up at this price considering he he tallied four top-10 finishes over his last 10 starts. He ranks ninth in SG: Tee-to-Green and is close to entering the top 50 in the world for the first time since 2016.
Rasmus Hojgaard (12-1)
Hojgaard isn't a name a lot of American golf fans are familiar with, as the 21-year-old has only played in five PGA Tour events this season. Not to be confused with his twin Nicolai -- who is also in the field -- Rasmus is polished across the board and ranks 12th on the DP World Tour in driving distance.
Genesis Scottish Open Bets: Head-to-Head Matchups
Xander Schauffele (-120) over Patrick Cantlay
These two recently went head-to-head in the final round of the Travelers Championship, and Schauffele won the tournament while Cantlay shot a six-over-par 76. Schauffele has been much better than Cantlay with his irons and also around the greens, which should be two key factors this week. As such, I'm expecting things to go like they did last time these two faced off.
Billy Horschel (-110) over Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Bezuidenhout is coming off a solid T2 finish at last week's John Deere Classic, but he will also be at a disadvantage after flying across the pond and dealing with the time change on short rest. Meanwhile, Horschel played in Germany two weeks ago and is in good form, having recently won the Memorial.