The PGA Tour ascends upon European soil as players look to sharpen their game for the season's last major! The 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, held at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, brings the world’s best back to the cradle of golf for a critical tune-up before The Open Championship.
As a multi-sanctioned event between the PGA and DP World Tour, stars from both tours look to capture a victory this weekend. As next week's Open Championship looms, the Scottish Open is a standalone challenge that demands creativity and strategy to compete late on Sunday. With this links-style course, players will be tested by coastal winds, firm turf, and tricky green complexes.
The Renaissance Club, a modern links-style course, plays as a par-70 stretching just over 7,200 yards. While it may not appear overly long by today’s standards, the firm fairways, ever-present wind, and pot bunkers give it bite. Based on the last few years, players who can stay around a 67 scoring average every round will surely be in the running on Sunday.
Creativity is paramount at this course and will be talked about all week on the broadcast. Players must visualize shots that bounce and roll unpredictably on landing. This is a tough course to predict what will happen because the players themselves won’t know on every shot how the ball will bounce and roll.
Accessing pin locations requires imaginative angles and discipline. Distance will come into play here, but the players must have the ability to dial it down when needed, as you can’t overpower everything here.
These key stats have shown to be crucial in years past to contend at Renaissance:
● Driving Distance Over Accuracy: While fairways are difficult to hit (under 60% hit rate on 11 of 13 holes), distance remains a major advantage. Seven of those holes reward length off the tee more than accuracy.
● Strokes Gained: Around the Green: ranks 16th in importance on tour at this venue, underscoring the need for elite scrambling and short-game touch. These green complexes could be tricky to enter; those who can scramble will put themselves a step ahead.
● Strokes Gained: Approach: is critical, particularly from longer distances. Approach shots from 200–225 and 225–250 yards rank among the most correlated with success here—6th and 7th best on tour, respectively.
It’s hard to preview any event without mentioning the two top players in the world. Both Scheffler and McIlroy boast top-5 finishes here and consistently thrive in demanding conditions.
McIlroy, in particular, has been dominant at Renaissance and arrives with the type of complete game that makes him a favorite every time he tees it up. Both are looking to finish this season strong, and I wouldn’t be shocked if these two finish top 10 this week.
Xander’s track record here is exceptional; he’s finished top 15 in three of his four appearances, including a win in 2022. His balanced tee-to-green game and ability to flight the ball in the wind make him a serious contender.
He has been on most of our articles this season and rightfully so, outside of last week, he had 7 straight weeks inside the Top 30.
Fleetwood is a links specialist with four straight top-34 finishes at this course. He’s also in tremendous recent form, posting four top-7 finishes in his last seven starts.
His combination of calm demeanor, excellent ball-striking, and short-game sharpness could finally push him to the winner’s circle after a brutal letdown a few weeks ago.
A top storyline this week is the debut of Billy Foster as Morikawa’s new caddie. Foster’s links knowledge and experience, having carried for legends like Seve Ballesteros and Matt Fitzpatrick, both successful at these types of courses, makes this a significant upgrade in Morikawa’s camp.
After a T4 finish here last year and a T8 showing last week, the timing of this partnership could be key to unlocking another run at victory. Morikawa has struggled with the putter, but Foster’s presence may offer the course management edge needed to overcome that.
Though his past results here (T46 and T25) don’t jump off the page, Hovland’s elite approach play over the last 50 rounds and consistent putting make him a threat anywhere.
On a course that emphasizes precise long iron play, and also one of the best putters on tour, he’s a player to watch closely.
The Scottish native returns to a course he’s practically owned, finishing 1st and 2nd the last two years, along with T18 and T14 finishes before that.
He has also been locked in for one of his favorite parts of the tour schedule. With recent results of T17, 2nd, T36, T20, and T6, he’s locked in and hungry to win in front of his home crowd again. What a story that would be!
To get -134, when other books are -180+, especially for these two, I like it. No, it's not a sexy +400 parlay, but most weeks this puts money in your pocket. Scottie Scheffler enters this week having posted top-10 finishes in an astonishing number of recent starts, nine straight to be exact. Having missed one cut here, he bounced back in 2023 with a T3, not playing last year, and I think he can win it this week.
Rory McIlroy has had one of his best seasons, and the next two weeks are going to be huge for him. He has been a proven force at The Renaissance Club. Coming off a T4 and a Win here in 2023, these two could be battling it out to win it this year.
McIlroy's driving prowess becomes even more of a weapon here, and he can get creative around the greens. Playing both at Top 20 gives you a nice +125 angle, which I played as well!
This pairing hinges on a strong course history and belief that these two will get things locked in before next week's Open. Xander Schauffele has quietly been one of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour the past few years, and even not in his best year, he has still found a way to finish Top 30 in 7 straight prior to last week's T61. Without going too deep into the data, he has a well-rounded game, especially in iron play, and if his putter is locked in, watch out.
Collin Morikawa, on the other hand, has rediscovered some form lately with a T8 finish last week and has 9 Top 30s under his belt this season. A T4 at this event last year has him hungry to get that victory that has eluded him in recent years.
What makes him especially intriguing this week is the debut of legendary caddie Billy Foster on his bag. For the next two weeks, these two will be linked, looking to make history. Foster’s experience on links layouts, combined with Morikawa’s elite long-iron play, could set the stage for a renewed run!
Greyserman is a lesser-known name in this field, but not to my clients and readers. He has been rock solid all year and is coming back to a place where he has found success with a T21 last year.
He is coming off finishing 2nd place last week in a playoff loss, and though I usually like to fade someone who grinds a win or a playoff loss the following week, he has shown success in his past following high finishes. Last season, he finished 2nd twice and followed those up with another 2nd place and 4th place finish.
Greyserman stacks as one of the best drivers and putters on tour, and is a great setup for him if he can avoid the bad breaks like everyone else. He ranks 36th in driving distance, 51st in Stokes Gained: Total, 24th in Strokes Gained: Putting, and 17th in putting average. If he can navigate to the greens, he could find success again!
Fitzpatrick has long been on quite a run in recent weeks, and he was the 1st player left off my official plays last week, which he finished T8. He has finished inside the Top 40 in eight straight events, with four Top 30s, and two Top 10’s. When his game is locked in, he is one of the most reliable links players on tour, with his controlled ball flight, exceptional short game, and high golf IQ.
He finished T39 last year when he was not in this form, and has also posted a T6 and 2nd at this course. I love that he is dialed in from >200 yards on approach, ranking 13th on tour.
He has been putting it together multiple weeks now across the bag, and he gains enough strokes total, off the tee, and approach to stay competitive this week.
While his two appearances at this course (T46 and T25) aren’t eye-popping, Hovland’s game is tailor-made for The Renaissance Club. He’s among the top approach players on tour over the past 50 rounds and has made noticeable gains in putting, gaining strokes in 5 of his last 7 events finished.
He ranks 32nd Strokes Gained: Total, 4th on Approach to Green, 18th in Proximity, 10th in Approach >200 yards, and birdie average 19th. You need to score to win, and he can go low when he is locked in!
Harry Hall is a sneaky-good fit for this venue, and I think he can do one better than his only performance here. He has been absolutely locked in over the last two months, and it's been fun backing him the past two years, witnessing his progression. His only negative is less experience on links courses, but he has all the tools to get it done.
Ranking 11th on tour in Stokes Gained: Total, 2nd in Stokes Gained: Putting, 2nd in Scoring Average, 2nd in Par 4, 3rd in Birdie Average, 7th in Scrambling, and 1st in Putts per round. To say he doesn’t have a chance to finish high is an understatement.
Out of all the players on tour not ranked inside the top 10, he may have the best stat profile of any of the other players. If he can keep the driver in check, and not give away too many strokes there, he could be in contention this week!