Titanic's ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open Preview (2025)

The LPGA Tour heads to the coast of Ayrshire, Scotland for the final tune-up before the AIG Women’s Open with a return trip to Dundonald Links. This purpose-built modern links course opened in 2003 but has already established itself as a staple in women’s links golf, having hosted this event from 2015–2017 and again from 2022 onward.

While it may not carry the centuries-old mystique of nearby Royal Troon or Prestwick, Dundonald’s layout is just as capable of delivering a stern test, particularly when the Scottish wind is up.

The Course

• Dundonald Links is a Kyle Phillips design and is built to mimic the classical links experiences of the Scottish coast

  • The course is a par-72 that will typically play around 6,560 yards for the LPGA field.

  • It features four par-3's (155–190 yards,) ten par-4's (340–450 yards) and four par-5's (475–550 yards.)

  • Located less than a mile from the Firth of Clyde, wind is a constant factor — and when it kicks up, it transforms this relatively scoreable layout into a beast so please keep an eye on the weather report link below.

• While this is a true links course, it gives players options — you can flight it down and bounce it up, or if the wind is calm, you can carry hazards and go aerial.

• The bunkering is highly strategic, often deep and pot-shaped. There are 70-plus bunkers scattered across the grounds, many of which are placed to catch indecisive layups or aggressive driver lines.

• The fairways and greens are fescue-dominant, with hard, running turf that rewards ground game creativity. However, the greens feature heavy contouring and subtle undulations, often sloping from front-to-back or presenting false fronts.

  • Green speeds are typically in the 10.5–11 range, slower than American tour setups, but meant to hold balls in windy conditions.

• There is no water in play on the course, but the rough fescue, deep pot bunkers and wind combine to be more than enough defense.

• This is very much a second-shot golf course, especially when dry. Players who can control spin and trajectory with mid-irons and wedges will have major advantage — and that includes knowing when to land 15 yards short and let it run.

• Putting is underrated here — many greens are large with strong movement, and several have ridges or tiers. With slower speeds due to the links style, players must adapt to pace control and avoid 3-putts from long range.

• This event has been moved up in the calendar by about a month.

Holes to Watch

• Hole 5 (Par 5) – Risk/reward opportunity with a well-guarded green. Eagle chances exist if you can carry the center bunker and chase a low second up the throat.

• Hole 13 (Par 4) – Tightest tee shot on the course with OB lurking right and dunes left. Approach is into a two-tiered green that runs away from the player.

• Hole 18 (Par 5) – One of the best closers on tour. Reachable in two for the long hitters, but the green is tucked with fall-offs on all sides and a stream in play. Birdie is in play but so is a nervy bogey.

The History

• 2024 – Lauren Coughlin captured her second LPGA Tour title in three events when she blistered the field by shooting -15 and topping Esther Henseleit by four strokes

• 2023 – Celine Boutier captured her fourth LPGA tour title when she shot -15 to top HJ Kim by two strokes

• 2022 – Japan’s Ayaka Furue stunned the field with a Sunday 62 to post -21 and capture her first LPGA title, storming past Celine Boutier and winning by three strokes. Her -10 round was the lowest Sunday score in tournament history.

• 2021 – Ryann O’Toole posted four straight rounds in the 60's to shoot -17 and capture her first LPGA Tour title when she beat Lydia Ko and Atthaya Thitikul by three strokes at  Dumbarnie Links

• 2020 – Stacy Lewis captured the latest of her 13 LPGA titles when she emerged victorious from a four-lady playoff over Cheyenne Knight, Azahara Munoz and Emily Kristine Pederson after all of them shot -5 at the Renaissance Club.

Titanic's 2024 Picks

• Ally Ewing 18/1 - CUT

• Madelene Sagstrom 28/1 - T30

• Lauren Coughlin 35/1 - WIN

• Maja Stark 45/1 - CUT

• Ashleigh Buhai 100/1 - T30

• Chanettee Wannasaen 100/1 - CUT

Titanic's 2025 Picks

• Ayaka Furue 16/1 - She’s a former winner of this event who I believe is one of the very best in the world. She is SG positive across the board and is elite in approach so she fits the “precision plus flat stick” skill-set that consistently wins on Scottish links.

• Charley Hull 25/1 - How can one bet an event in the British isles and not take a local? She’s elite in the wind, tremendous on approach and can clearly get it done on links (AIG Women’s Open runner-up.)

• A Lim Kim 50/1 - This might be my favorite bet on the board as her ball-striking resurgence plus world-class scrambling plays perfectly at Dundonald as we can see by her top 20 here in the past.

• Nanna Koerstz Madsen 90/1 - I might end up dead wrong here but I think these odds are more reflective of a dip in form she had and doesn’t reflect the improved play we’ve seen of late. She brings a total tee-to-green game that I love to lean on in links golf.

• Georgia Hall 110/1 - A links specialist for my last shout here. It’s pretty hard to find anyone who has Scottish form like Georgia and at 110/1 with e/w places I’m loving the idea of her in the mix on the weekend!

  
  

  Also intend on playing these ladies in the first round leader 5pl e/w market once that is available

https://www.windfinder.com/forecast/barassie