DP World Tour/PGA Tour : Genesis Scottish Open
The world's best are once again at the Renaissance Club for the Genesis Scottish Open, the third Rolex Series event of the DP World Tour season.
Scotland's national open features DP World Tour and PGA TOUR stars as they go head to head with the event co-sanctioned for the second time.
Here, we take a look at some of the Major Champions, Rolex Series winners and World Number Ones who are among eight of the top ten players on the Official World Golf Ranking vying for the trophy in North Berwick.
Scottie Scheffler had yet to win on the PGA or DP World Tours when he lifted the Ryder Cup with the United States at Whistling Straits in 2021 but a victory at the WM Phoenix Open in February last year changed all that and he added titles at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play to move to the top of the world rankings. He then slipped on a Green Jacket with a maiden Major triumph at the Masters Tournament before he narrowly missed out on winning the PGA TOUR's FedEx Cup. Since the start of 2023, he has retained his Phoenix Open title and won The PLAYERS Championship, returning to the summit of the men's game in the process, and finished in the top ten at each of the first three Majors of the year. He will be making his third appearance in Scotland, having finished in a tie for 12th on debut in 2021. “I’ve enjoyed having the Genesis Scottish Open on my schedule over the past few years and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Renaissance Club again," he said. “It’s a fun golf course to play, and I really like the style of golf it requires of you. I feel like it helps with preparation going into The Open the following week too, getting a feel for the style of golf and also playing in a big event with such a strong field and supportive fans.”
Rory Mcllroy is teeing it up at the Renaissance Club for his eighth appearance in Scotland's national open. He won his first events of the 2023 season on both sides of the Atlantic, including a first Rolex Series title in thrilling fashion at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Victory at the Emirates Golf Club took him to 15 DP World Tour titles at the scene of his first. Since finishing in a tie for seventh at the US PGA Championship in May, he has finished in the top ten in his subsequent four starts, including at last month's U.S. Open when he finished runner-up. He will play the Scottish Open in the week before The Open at Royal Liverpool, where he lifted the Claret Jug in 2014. “I’m pleased to be able to add the Genesis Scottish Open to my schedule again this season," McIlroy said. "The Scottish fans have always been very supportive of me and it would be great to win a title in the home of golf.”
Viktor Hovland, the trailblazing Norwegian arrives in Scotland in excellent form, after winning his fourth PGA TOUR title at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday last month. The European Ryder Cup star has impressed at the Majors so far this year, finishing runner-up at the US PGA Championship, tied seventh at the Masters and 19th at the U.S. Open. The 25-year-old will be making his second appearance at the Genesis Scottish Open, aiming to add a third DP World Tour title in successive seasons, and his second on the Rolex Series, following triumphs at the 2021 BMW International Open and 2022 Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Hovland said: “It’s been an awesome season so far, with a memorable win a few weeks ago. I’m looking forward to getting back to Scotland in July and hopefully keeping the form rolling.”
Xander Schauffele returns to defend his Genesis Scottish Open title after he became the first player to win an event co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR outside of the Majors and World Golf Championships at last year's edition. It was one of three titles in 2022 for the reigning Olympic champion from America, who won his maiden DP World Tour and World Golf Championships title at the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2018. At last month's U.S. Open he hit a bogey-free 62 to equal the lowest round at a Major. There can't be many other players with more confidence coming into the event, with top-20 finishes in each of his last nine starts. A man for the big occasion, he has 11 top tens from 24 Major Championship appearances and is relishing the chance to take on a world-class field again on the Rolex Series stage. “I can’t wait to return to The Renaissance Club to defend my Genesis Scottish Open title," he said. "It was a special week, winning my first title in Europe and the way I did it, digging in on Sunday and making it count down the stretch to get it over the line. The fans really got behind me, which just added to the experience of playing in Scotland, and I’m looking forward to coming back in July.”
Matthew Fitzpatrick will make a tenth consecutive appearance at the Genesis Scottish Open this summer. He missed out on winning the title for the first time in 2021 in a play-off against Thomas Detry and champion Min Woo Lee. The Englishman won his first Rolex Series title in 2020 after prevailing at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, and became a Major winner for the first time at last year's U.S. Open. Victory at The Country Club, Brookline saw him join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win both the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Championship on the same course. He defeated defending champion Jordan Spieth in a play-off to win the RBC Heritage earlier this season, a week after finishing tied for tenth at the Masters Tournament. “I’ve come close in the past at the Genesis Scottish Open, so I’m looking forward to coming back to North Berwick knowing that I’ve had good results at Renaissance Club,” he said. “The fans are always so knowledgeable and appreciative of great shots, so it’s great to have a Rolex Series event with the biggest names from the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR on show in Scotland.”
Three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth will return for his second appearance at Scotland’s national open after a tied tenth finish on his debut in East Lothian last season led to another top ten at the 150th Open in St Andrews the following week. Already a three-time Major winner, Spieth claimed the Claret Jug in 2017 after triumphing in the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open. The American, who won the FedExCup in 2015, returned to the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking following his runner-up finish - one of six top tens this year - at Hilton Head Island in April.
The 2023 Genesis Scottish Open field also includes fellow Major winners Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Justin Thomas and Wyndham Clark, European Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, 2015 champion Rickie Fowler, PGA TOUR winners Sam Burns, Im Sungjae and Séamus Power and Scotland’s number one, Robert MacIntyre.
edit **** There are 3 Canadians in the field this week.
8.32 10th Nick Taylor, Ed Molinari, Pablo Larrazabal
1409 1st Corey Conners, Tom Hoge, Ryan Fox
1420 1st Mac Hughes, Matt Wallace, Nick Hojgaard
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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