The PGA Tour travels across the pond for the Genesis Scottish Open – the long-running championship leading into the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.
The 41st edition of Scotland’s second biggest golf tournament will be contested for the first time as an official PGA Tour event. For the fourth year in a row, The Renaissance Club will be the host venue. 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.
Min Woo Lee will return to defend his 2021 title against a super-stacked field, headlined thirteen of the top-15 ranked players in the world – a far cry from last week’s Korn Ferry-like field at the John Deere.
2022 Genesis Scottish Open Primer
At-a-Glance
Tournament: Genesis Scottish Open
Sanctioned Tour: European Tour & PGA Tour
Euro Tour Debut: 1972
PGA Tour Debut: 2022
Dates: July 7-10, 2022
Where: North Berwick, Scotland, UK
Course: The Renaissance Club
Distance: Par 71, 7136 yards
Architect: Tom Doak (2008)
Format: 72-hole stroke, 36-hole cut
Purse: $8,000,000
Winning Share: $1,444,000
Defending Champion:Â Min Woo Lee
How to Follow the Genesis Scottish Open
TV: Thu-Fri: 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (GOLF); Sat-Sun: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (GOLF), 12-3 p.m. (CBS)
RADIO: Thu-Fri: 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio/Sirius XM)
(Simulcast stream: PGATour.com/liveaudio)
PGA TOUR LINKS: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
EURO TOUR LINKS: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Scottish Open 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 Rolex Series, with each elite tournament in the series having a minimum prize fund of $7 million.
In 2021, as part of a partnership with the European Tour, the U.S. PGA Tour announced that it would co-sanction the event, and place it on its 2022 schedule as an official PGA Tour stop, acting as the natural lead-in to the Open Championship. Part of the agreement saw the PGA Tour use its monopoly muscle and bring Genesis on as the tournament’s new title sponsor, which also titles the Tiger Woods hosted Invitational event at Riveria.
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.
History: Tournament Names
- Genesis Scottish Open (2022)
- abrdn Scottish Open (2021)
- Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open (2018-19)
- Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open (2012-17)
- Barclays Scottish Open (2002-11)
- Scottish Open at Loch Lomond (2001)
- Standard Life Loch Lomond (1999-00)
- Standard Life World Invitational (1998)
- Loch Lomond World Invitational (1996-97)
- Scottish Open (1995-96)
- Bell’s Scottish Open (1986-94)
- Sunbeam Electric Scottish Open (1972-73)
- Penfold Scottish Open (1936)
- Scottish Open Championship (1935)
Recent Winners
2021: Min Woo Lee (-18)*
2020: Aaron Rai (-11)*
2019: Bernd Wiesberger (-22)*
2018: Brandon Stone (-20)
2017: Rafael Cabrera-Bello (-13)*
2016: Alex Noren (-14)
2015: Rickie Fowler (-12)
2014: Justin Rose (-16)
2013: Phil Mickelson (-17)*
* Playoff
Tournament Records
Scoring
260 (−20) – Brandon Stone (2018)
262 (−22) – Bernd Wiesberger (2019)
264 (−20) – Ian Woosnam (1987)
264 (−18) – Peter O’Malley (1992)
Wins
3 – Ian Woosnam (1987, 1990, 1996)
2 – Ernie Els (2000, 2003)
Scottish Open Field
The field in East Lothian is headlined by PGA Tour stars Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm, among a bevy of top-ranked players.
Leading the way is world No.1 Scheffler who finished T12 in his debut at the Scottish Open. The reigning Masters champion enters in top form, highlighted by two runner-up finishes in his last four starts, including a T2 at the U.S. Open.
U.K. bookmakers have Scheffler listed as the pre-tournament co-favorite, at 12-1, alongside Rahm and Thomas, who will look to bounce back after a T37 finish at the U.S. Open.
JT, the reigning PGA Champion and world No.5, enters amid a curious trend of results, where he finishes either very high or outside the top 30. For instance, here’s what his 11 most recent results look like: 37th, 3rd, MC, 1st, 5th, 35th, 8th, 35th, 3rd, 33rd, 6th.
Based on this, JT should finish in the top 5 this week, but play poorly at the British Open.
Rahm, meanwhile, enters Scotland playing his best golf of the year: the world No.3 owns a win (Mexico) and two other top-12 finishes in his last four starts.
Listed right behind the three co-favorites, at 14-1, is Schauffele (11), who will tee it up fresh off his sixth career PGA Tour title at the Travelers.
Another player teeing it up off a win is U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick. The world No.10, who lost in a playoff here last year, is offered at 20-1.
At 25-1 is the defending British Open Champion, Morikawa. The world No.4 has struggled with consistency this year but comes in off an impressive T5 finish at the U.S. Open.
Also at 25-1 is Patrick Cantlay (7), who enters off five top-15s in his last six starts, including a pair of top-3 finishes.
World No.10 Sam Burns and Will Zalatoris (13) round out the top-10 betting favorites at 28-1.
Finally, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre will be the top-ranked (No. 102) home hopeful this week and enters off a T13 at last week’s Irish Open.
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Scottie Scheffler 12-1
1. Justin Thomas 12-1
1. Jon Rahm 12-1
4. Xander Schauffele 14-1
5. Matthew Fitzpatrick 20-1
Full Field & Odds
The Renaissance Club | North Berwick, East Lothian, UK | July 7-10, 2022
