Out of the Rough: Genesis Scottish Open (2025)

With the naming of the Champion Golfer of the Year just a week away, the PGA Tour heads to the birthplace of golf for this week’s Genesis Scottish Open.

Since 2022, the DP World Tour and PGA Tour have co-sanctioned this event, being the first event to co-exist between the two tours.

The partnership now see’s 75 golfers from each the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour battling it out for supremacy in the birthplace of golf.

It annually serves as the final tuneup for The Open Championship, being played a week before and allowing those of the PGA Tour to get a taste of links golf before the final Major of the season.

Each of the previous three editions have been held at The Renaissance Club as will be the case this week.

Although this event has served as a co-sanctioned event between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour since 2023, it has been a part of the DP World Tour’s schedule since the tour’s inception in 1972. It has been held at The Renaissance Club since 2019.

The Field

With most of the Tour’s best opting to skip last week’s John Deere Classic, leaving us with a less-than-to-be-desired field, the majority of them will be teeing it up this week.

Of those in attendance are each of the top five of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR.) Those include Scottie Scheffler (No. 1,) Rory McIlroy (No. 2,) Xander Schauffele (No. 3,) Justin Thomas (No. 4) and Collin Morikawa (No. 5.)

In all 17 of the OWGR top 25 and 32 of the top 50 will be in attendance this week.

Other notable golfers teeing it up include J.J. Spaun, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Maverick McNealy, Harris English, Sam Burns, Justin Rose, Corey Conners and Sungjae Im.

On the DP World Tour side, Laurie Canter comes in as the highest ranked member of the OWGR.

He’ll be joined by the likes of Rasmus Neergard-Petersen, Shaun Norris, Kristoffer Reitan, Haotong Li, Martin Couvra, Jordan Smith, John Parry and Keita Nakajima as notable full-time DP World Tour players in this week’s field.

MacIntyre comes in as the defending champion, as he topped Adam Scott in dramatic fashion a season ago to claim his own national Open. MacIntyre became the first Scottish player to win the Genesis Scottish Open since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.

MacIntyre, who was a member of the DP World Tour at the time, was also the runner-up to McIlroy in 2023. MacIntyre stood on the 18th green with the lead until McIlroy pulled off a dramatic come-back to claim the title.

Schauffele won the first co-sanctioned event back in 2023.

Other former winners of this event teeing it up this week include Aaron Rai (2020,) Bernd Wiesberger (2019,) Alex Noren (2016,) Justin Rose (2014) and Luke Donald (2011.)

The Course

The Renaissance Club is described as a modern Scottish links course that was established in 2008.

As a modern links course set in the birthplace of golf, the course differs from the usual PGA TOUR tracks but offers a change of pace.

It plays as a par-71 at 7,293 yards and offers a unique mixture of four par-fives, five par-threes and nine par-fours.

The Renaissance Club is a Tom Doak design and has become the most notable achievement in his famed architectural career. Courses on Tour that Doak designed include Memorial Park and St. George’s.

This course has become the home of the Scottish Open on the DP World Tour, the Scottish Senior Open on the European Senior Tour and the Ladies Scottish Open on the Ladies European Tour.

This year marks the seventh consecutive year that the Scottish Open has been played at The Renaissance Club.

Sitting just outside of Edinburgh and on the coastline, the course is exposed to the North Sea. That makes it susceptible to significant swings in weather conditions from day-to-day. Again, like what we see at The Open, making this event a perfect warm-up for golf’s final Major of the season.

The fairways here are wide and generous but do run firm and fast, as is the way of link style courses. Although the fairways are wide and generous, there is the presence of penal fescue and pot bunkers that will require correct positioning off-the-tee.

With the firm and fast conditions of the fairways, this style of course tempts golfers to use the ground more often for increased rollouts, especially when the winds are increased.

This, of course, will give an advantage to golfers who are familiar with playing in high winds and extreme weather conditions.

Although those with above-average distance off-the-tee should see an advantage this week, the roll-outs on the fairways have kept short hitters in contention over the last seven years.

This course includes four reachable par-fives, a driveable par-four  and five par-fours over 450 yards, which gives advantages to the long-bombers.

Subtle intricacies on the greens will cause fits to even the World’s best putters. Those intricacies of the greens were the design philosophy by Doak.

Due to this, short game and around-the-green work will be crucial this week.

The elements will dictate the difficulty of the course this week. 

During calm weather, golfers can easily score low here, which was the case in 2019 with the winning score coming in at -22.

When the winds and weather are a factor, the winning mark can be cut in half or even a third. Schauffele won at just -7 three years ago.

Those of the DP World Tour can see an advantage this week as this serves as a unique test for the PGA Tour golfers. These conditions that are possible are aspects that those of the DP World Tour are all too familiar with. 

In all, this is a course and event that should be won by a golfer that is elite in ball-striking with plus distance off the tee.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, there is at most a ten-percent chance of precipitation across all four days. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday currently call for a ten-percent chance as Friday calls for just a five-percent chance. Temperatures will begin at 68-degrees on Thursday before peaking at 72-degrees on Saturday and falling to 71-degrees for Sunday. Winds will be at the highest on Thursday at 13 miles-per-hour. Friday currently calls for 12 miles-per-hour winds with Saturday calling for just six miles-per-hour winds and Sunday eight miles-per-hour winds.

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Ball Striking

• Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)

• Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)

• Par Three Average Scoring

• Par Five Average Scoring

• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Average Driving Distance

• Birdie or Better Percentage

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT) / Three-Putt Avoidance

• Scrambling

DFS Suggestions

$10,000+

With just three golfers in this price range in Scottie Scheffler ($13,100,) Rory McIlroy ($11,400) and Xander Schauffele ($10,100,) I’m going to go ahead and skip this price range. There is no need to argue either way on these three.

$9,000-$9,900

First up we have Collin Morikawa ($9,600) who just brought in legendary caddie Billy Foster to be on his bag this week. Foster most recently was with Matt Fitzpatrick as the duo split in March. He’s been on the bag for the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood in the past. Morikawa is currently second on Tour in SG: TTG, fifth in SG: APP, sixth in par-three average scoring, seventh in birdie or better percentage, tenth in SG: OTT, 20th in ball striking, 70th in SG: ATG, 80th in par-five average scoring, 102nd in scrambling, 115th in SG: PUTT, 135th in three-putt avoidance and 149th in average driving distance. He placed eighth in his last outing at the Rocket Classic. Prior to that he placed 42nd at the Travelers Championship, 23rd at the U.S. Open, 20th at the Memorial Tournament, 50th at the PGA Championship and 17th at the Truist Championship. He also placed fourth here a season ago. Also consider Justin Thomas ($9,200.) Thomas is currently first on Tour in birdie-or-better percentage, 11th in three-putt avoidance, 12th in SG: PUTT, 15th in SG: APP, 25th in SG: TTG, 36th in SG: ATG, 67th in average driving distance, 93rd in SG: OTT, 94th in par-five average scoring, 97th in par-three average scoring, 109th in scrambling and 113th in ball striking. He most recently placed ninth at the Travelers Championship. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open, placed 31st at the Memorial Tournament, missed the cut at the PGA Championship but was the runner-up at the Truist Championship and won the RBC Heritage. Since this event has been co-sanctioned between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, Thomas hasn’t had the best of luck here, placing 62nd last year, 60th in 2023 and missing the cut in 2022. 

$8,000-$8,900

Leading off this price range is Sepp Straka ($8,700.) Straka placed 45th in his last outing at the Travelers Championship and missed the cut at the U.S. Open. He placed third at the Memorial Tournament, missed the cut at the PGA Championship but also won the Truist Championship, placed 12th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and placed 13th at the RBC Heritage. He’s played this event twice prior, missing the cut in both 2024 and 2022. He is currently first on Tour in par-three average scoring, third in both SG: APP and birdie-or-better percentage, seventh in SG: TTG, eighth in par-five average scoring, 15th in ball striking, 37th in SG: OTT, 30th in SG: PUTT, 48th in three-putt avoidance, 106th in scrambling, 128th in SG: ATG and 145th in average driving distance. Also consider J.J. Spaun ($8,100.) Spaun placed 14th in his last outing at the Travelers Championship and won the U.S. Open. He missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament but placed sixth at the Charles Schwab Challenge, 37th at the PGA Championship and 17th at the Truist Championship. He last played this event in 2022 where he placed 59th. He is currently seventh on Tour in SG: APP, 13th in SG: TTG, 20th in ball striking, 39th in both SG: PUTT and three-putt avoidance, 55th in par-three average scoring, 59th in birdie-or-better percentage, 61st in average driving distance, 80th in par-five average scoring, 93rd in SG: ATG and 104th in sacrambling. 

$7,000-$7,900

This is where the difference will be made in DFS this week. More casual fans will opt for the PGA Tour names but with a little bit of research, or understanding of the DP World Tour, you can find a leg up. With that being said, Jordan Smith ($7,300) is my first play. He is currently second on the DP World Tour in ball striking, eighth in SG: OTT, ninth in par-five average scoring, tenth in three-putt avoidance, 14th in SG: TTG, 19th in birdie-or-better percentage, 24th in scrambling, 29th in SG: PUTT, 43rd in SG: APP, 51st in average driving distance and 66th in SG: ATG. He placed second last week at the BMW International Open, 28th at the Italian Open, missed the cut at the Austrian Alpine Open, placed fourth at the Soudal Open, seventh at the Turkish Airlines Open and second at the Volvo China Open. Smith also made the cut at the U.S. Open. He missed the cut here a season ago but was 12th in 2023 and 24th in 2022. Also consider Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen ($7,600.) He is currently third on the DP World Tour in ball striking, sixth in par-five average scoring, seventh in SG: TTG, eighth in both SG: OTT and birdie-or-better percentage, 19th in SG: APP, 48th in average driving distance, 49th in scrambling, 50th in SG: ATG, 56th in par-three average scoring and 78th in three-putt avoidance. He placed 14th last week at the BMW International Open after missing back-to-back cuts at the KLM Open and Austrian Alpine Open prior. He also placed fourth at the Hainan Classic, tenth at the Volvo China Open and second at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Neergaard-Petersen also placed 12th at the U.S. Open, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, placed 22nd at the Valspar Championship and was the runner-up at the Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour this season. He’ll be making his tournament debut this week. He’s also on my betting card at +10000.

$6,900-

My first play in this final price range is Adrien Saddier ($6,600.) Saddier placed 46th at last week’s BMW International Open but won the Italian Open the week prior. He missed the cut at the Austrian Alpine Open but prior to that placed 56th at the Turkish Airlines Open, fifth at the Hero Indian Open, third at the Porsche Singapore Open, 19th at the Joburg Open, seventh at the Magical Kenya Open, 35th at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and 13th at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. On the DP World Tour he is currently third in both par-three average scoring and par-five average scoring, fourth in birdie-or-better percentage, 15th in three-putt avoidance, 17th in SG: TTG, 18th in ball striking, 28th in SG: APP, 33rd in SG: OTT, 35th in SG: ATG and 60th in both average driving distance and scrambling. He too will be making his tournament debut this week. Also consider Martin Couvra ($6,900.) Couvra missed the cut last week at the BMW International Open but prior to that placed second at the Italian Open, eighth at the Austrian Alpine Open, missed the cut at the Soudal Open but won the Turkish Airlines Open and placed fifth at the Hainan Classic. He is currently fifth on the DP World Tour in SG: APP, sixth in ball striking, eighth in SG: TTG, 12th in birdie-or-better percentage, 31st in par-five average scoring, 40th in SG: OTT, 44th in scrambling, 46th in par-three average scoring, 47th in three-putt avoidance, 60th in SG: ATG, 66th in average driving distance and 67th in SG: PUTT. He also will be making his tournament debut this week. 

Betting Card

• Ludvig Aberg (+3000)

• Sam Burns (+4000)

• Tom Kim (+8000)

• Nicolai Hojgaard (+9000)

• Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (+10000)

• Thorbjorn Olesen (+10000)

Ludvig Aberg (+3000)

Aberg is currently 13th on Tour in SG: OTT, 25th in average driving distance, 42nd in birdie-or-better percentage, 61st in ball striking, 62nd in SG: TTG, 83rd in SG: APP, 95th in three-putt avoidance, 125th in par-five average scoring, 127th in scrambling, 129th in SG: PUTT, 137th in par-three average scoring and 149th in SG: ATG. He placed 36th in his last outing at the Travelers Championship, missed the cut at the U.S. Open but placed 13th at the RBC Canadian Open and 16th at the Memorial Tournament. He also placed fourth here a season ago. He’s simply too good of a golfer to be at 30/1. Famous last words.

Sam Burns (+4000)

Burns is currently first on Tour in SG: Putt, sixth in three-putt avoidance, 11th in birdie-or-better percentage, 30th in par-five average scoring, 52nd in average driving distance, 55th in par-three average scoring, 67th in ball striking, 78th in SG: ATG, 83rd in SG: OTT, 105th in SG: TTG, 114th in scrambling and 127th in SG: APP. The approach number is a bit concerning but he did gain 0.136 strokes-on-approach per round at the Travelers Championship, 1.873 strokes at the U.S. Open, 1.143 strokes at the RBC Canadian Open and 0.305 strokes at the Memorial Tournament. He comes into this week in some great form as well. He placed 17th in his last outing at the Travelers Championship, placed seventh at the U.S. Open, second at the RBC Canadian Open, 12th at the Memorial Tournament, 19th at the PGA Championship, 30th at the Truist Championship, fifth at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 13th at the RBC Heritage and 46th at the Masters Tournament. He didn’t play here last year but was 19th in 2023 and 66th in 2022. 

Tom Kim (+8000)

Tom Kim has been one of the best golfers at this event since it became a co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. He placed 15th here last year, sixth in 2023 and third in 2022. He was also the runner-up to Brian Harman at the 2023 The Open Championship. He plays links golf as well as anyone in on Tour. I won't go over his current, form, because it is not good. Same can be said for his stats. Just know, he is very good at this course.

Nicolai Hojgaard (+9000)

Hojgaard placed 24th in his last outing at the Rocket Classic. Prior to that he missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open but placed 41st at the PGA Championship, fifth at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 56th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and second at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He also placed 39th here a season ago and sixth in 2023. He is currently fourth on Tour in par-five average scoring, seventh in birdie-or-better percentage, ninth in average driving distance, 12th in par-three average scoring, 16th in SG: APP, 32nd in ball striking, 47th in SG: PUTT, 51st in SG: TTG, 52nd in three-putt avoidance, 90th in SG: OTT, 146th in SG: ATG and 173rd in scrambling. 

Thorbjorn Olesen (+10000)

Olesen has played this event each of the last three seasons, placing 39th last year, 25th in 2023 and 30th in 2022. He missed the cut last week at the John Deere Classic but placed 41st the week prior at the Rocket Classic. He also missed the cut at the U.S. Open but placed 36th at the RBC Canadian Open, 46th at the Charles Schwab Challenge, 33rd at the PGA Championship, seventh at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and 29th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. He is currently sixth on Tour in par-three average scoring, 16th in both SG: PUTT and three-putt avoidance, 18th in ball striking, 30th in par-five average scoring, 50th in SG: TTG, 51st in SG: APP, 55th in average driving distance, 61st in scrambling, 74th in SG: OTT, 88th in SG: ATG and 95th in birdie-or-better percentage.