The European Tour travels from the western coast of Ireland to the east coast of Scotland for the Aberdeen Standard Investment Scottish Open – the second of two-straight Rolex Series events leading into the 148th Open Championship.
The 39th edition of Scotland’s premier golf tournament will be contested at The Renaissance Club for the first time. The newest track on Scotland’s Gold Coast will play to a par 71 and stretch to 7,136 yards for the country’s national championship.
Brandon Stone returns to defend his 2018 title against a field headlined by the likes of PGA Tour stars Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas.
2019 ASI Scottish Open
The Skinny
Tournament: ASI Scottish Open
Dates:Â July 11-14, 2019
Where: North Berwick, East Lothian, UK
Title Sponsor: Aberdeen Standard Investment
Course:Â The Renaissance Club
Distance: Par 71, 7136 yards
Format: 72-holes, stroke play, 36-hole cut
Purse: $7,000,000
Winning Share: $1,019,000
Defending Champion:Â Brandon Stone
Top-10 Betting Favorites:Â Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Henrik Stenson, Justin Thomas, Matt Wallace, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Eddie Pepperell, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Bernd Wiesberger, Haotong Li, Martin Kaymer, and Tyrrell Hatton
Watch & Follow
All times and dates broadcast via Golf Channel
Rd 1: Th 05:30 am – 1:30 pm
Rd 2: Fr 05:30 am – 1:30 pm
Rd 3: Sa 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Rd 4: Su 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
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History
The Scottish Open debuted in 1935 at Gleneagles with Englishman Percy Alliss edging compatriot Jack Busson by four strokes to win a prize of £750. The 1936 edition was sponsored by Penfold, and titled the Penfold Scottish Open. The tournament was contested at Ayr Belleisle Golf Club with Jimmy Adams beating Tom Collinge in a 36-hole playoff.
The third installment of the Scottish Open was planned for late June, 1937 at Carnoustie in advance of the 72nd Open Championship. A last-minute objection by the R&A, though, forced tournament organizers to cancel the event.
The Scottish Open returned 36 years later in 1972 as part of the inaugural season of the European Tour, with Sunbeam Electric assuming the title sponsor role. The tournament, ironically, was contested the week prior to the Open Championship. It ended after a two-year run, but returned 13 years later in 1986 with Bell signing on as the title sponsor.
In 2017 it became part of the seven-event Rolex Series, with each elite tournament in the series having a minimum prize fund of $7 million.
Past winners of the Scottish Open include Graham Marsh, Ian Woosnam, Jesper Parnevik, Thomas Bjorn, Tom Lehman, Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, and Rickie Fowler.
Woosnam is a three-time winner, while Els has won twice.
Tournament Names
2018-19: Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open
2012-17: Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open
2002-11: Barclays Scottish Open
2001-01: Scottish Open at Loch Lomond
1999-00: Standard Life Loch Lomond
1998-98: Standard Life World Invitational
1996-97: Loch Lomond World Invitational
1995-96: Scottish Open
1986-94: Bell’s Scottish Open
1972-73: Sunbeam Electric Scottish Open
1936-36: Penfold Scottish Open
1935-35: Scottish Open Championship
Recent Winners
2018: Brandon Stone (-13)
2017: Rafael Cabrera-Bello (-13)
2016: Alex Noren (-14)
2015: Rickie Fowler (-12)
2014: Justin Rose (-16)
2013: Phil Mickelson (-17)
2012: Jeev Milkha Singh (-17)
Tournament Records
Scoring
264 (−20) – Ian Woosnam (1987)
264 (−18) – Peter O’Malley (1992)
Wins
3 – Ian Woosnam (1987, 1990, 1996)
2 – Ernie Els (2000, 2003)
Defending Champion
Brandon Stone fired a European Tour record-tying 60 at Gullane Golf Club to capture the 2018 ASI Scottish Open.
The 25-year old South African finished his flawless final day with eight birdies and one eagle, good for 10 under, and a four-day score of 20-under par.
Stone nearly became the first player to break 60 on the European Tour, but his seven-foot birdie putt on No. 18 slid left to join seven others who’ve carded 60, including Darren Clarke, a two-timer.
Stone’s consolation, though, wasn’t too shabby: a Rolex Series trophy, a check for $1.16M, and one of the three tickets to Carnoustie for the 147th Open Championship.
Final Top 5
POS-PLAYER-SCORE (TODAY)
1. Brandon Stone -20 (-10)
2. Eddie Pepperell -16 (-6)
3. Jens Dantorp -15 (-2)
3. Trevor Immelman -15 (-5)
3. Luke List -15 (-6)
Field Analyis & Odds
The field in East Lothian is headlined by stars Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Matt Kuchar, among a bevy of top-ranked players.
Leading the way is world No. 3 McIlroy who will be teeing it up for the first time since a T9 at the U.S. Open. The 30-year old Northern Ireland native is in the midst of another superb season, which includes two wins and nine additional top 10s in just 13 starts.
McIlroy will be teeing it up for the first time in a pure European Tour event this year, and has been made the clear favorite with U.K. bookmakers at 6-1.
Fowler, who owns a Scottish Open title (2015), has enjoyed a solid, albeit disappointing, season, with a win and several top 10s, but again has come up empty in the majors.
Still, Fowler remains an elite golfer and is almost guaranteed to be near the top of the leaderboard come the weekend.
At No. 9 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Justin Thomas is the second highest ranked player in the field, and one of the top-3 favorites to take home the trophy this weekend. The Kentucky native started his season strong with five top 10s in his first seven starts, but has been off form after injuring his wrist at the Honda Classic in late March. Thomas enters off two missed cuts in his four most recent starts (T36, MC, T20, MC).
After Thomas, the next highest ranked player in the field is Matt Kuchar, who enters ranked No. 13, and owns two wins on the season, alongside a pair of runner-ups. In his last five starts, Kuchar has three top 10s.
The last of the top-25 ranked players in the field is Matt Wallace, who checks in at No. 24. The Englishman struggled last week at the Irish Open but prior to that he’d posted three top-3s in his five most recent starts.
Another player to watch is 2017 winner Rafa Cabrera Bello, who is ranked No. 37, and enters off two straight top-4 finishes (T4, T3). The 35-year old Spaniard has been hit or miss in 2019, either posting top 5s or something outside the top 30.
Finally, Scotland’s Russell Knox will be the top-ranked (No. 70) home hopeful this week, and enters in decent form with three top 30s in his last four starts, including a top 10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Full Field & Odds
The Renaissance Club | North Berwick, East Lothian, UK | July 11-14, 2019
