PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For 2024 Genesis Scottish Open
PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For 2024 Genesis Scottish Open
The 2024 Genesis Scottish Open is the first of two PGA Tour events held in Scotland. Located at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, the Scottish Open is a co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and the European DP World Tour. It's the precursor to the fourth and final major, The Open Championship, hosted at Royal Troon next week.
Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele have won this event since it became co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour. Other notable winners on the DP World Tour at this course, prior to 2021, include Aaron Rai (2020) and Min Woo Lee (2021), with Lee 28-1 and Rai 45-1 in the current outright betting market.
PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is back with his latest power rankings, including a course overview and a look at the current outright winner odds, to provide as much information and insight as possible to cash an outright winner ticket at the Renaissance Club this week.
2024 SCOTTISH OPEN START TIME AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: July 11-14, 2024
- Where: The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland
- What Time: 2 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET, 4:15 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN+, Golf Channel, CBS
SCOTTISH OPEN COURSE
The Renaissance Club is a links course, meaning there aren't any trees or water hazards for golfers to contest. It's a 7,237 yard par 70 course with five par 3s and three par 5s, with red fescue fairways and greens. This unique surface produces slow velocity putts, measuring 11.5 feet via Stimpmeter. Undulating fairways also tend to send approach shots and tee shots into unfavorable lies.
Coastal winds tend to be the primary defense, along with hole locations on these large surface area greens. Over 300 acres of pine forest were cleared out by designer Tom Doak back in 2007 to create this style of golf course. A few standalone trees remain to provide some challenges for golfers off-the-tee and on approach, while pot bunkers, deeper than traditional sand traps stateside, create difficult lies.
Last year's leaderboard easily broke 10-under-par, compared to Xander Schauffele's win in 2022 at 7-under-par. It's all dependent on the winds, with current forecasts suggesting it may be limited, creating ideal scoring conditions once again.
SCOTTISH OPEN ODDS
| GOLFER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | +800 |
| Xander Schauffele | +900 |
| Ludvig Åberg | +1600 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1600 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2000 |
| Viktor Hovland | +2200 |
| Tom Kim | +2500 |
| Min Woo Lee | +2800 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +3500 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +3500 |
| Robert MacIntyre | +4500 |
| Wyndham Clark | +4500 |
| Justin Thomas | +4500 |
| Aaron Rai | +4500 |
2024 SCOTTISH OPEN POWER RANKINGS
1. RORY MCILROY +800 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Yes, history is not on Rory McIlroy's side when it comes to defending titles at Renaissance Club. However, spurned by his meltdown at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 a few weeks ago, expect McIlroy to come out with plenty of motivation in Round 1.
McIlroy is the best driver on the PGA Tour and links courses suit his style of play, plus, he's improved his strokes gained on approach throughout the season. In his debut at this event in 2023, McIlroy carded 6-under-par in the opening round, so if he can replicate those numbers early once again, he'll be in the driver's seat to make history at +800 odds.
2. TOMMY FLEETWOOD +2000 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Despite not having any outright wins on the PGA Tour, Tommy Fleetwood is clearly in his element playing on links courses. A T6 finish at this event in 2023 would've been even higher if not for going +2 in the final round.
Fleetwood ranks 35th total strokes gained, including 49th SG: putting, 15th total driving, and 10th scrambling. He's 21st in par 4 scoring average and has played well at these types of courses throughout the years, which is why he racked up seven wins on the DP World Tour.
At 20-1 odds, oddsmakers are also bullish on the Englishman to contend this week, so make sure to invest a 0.50 or 0.25 unit wager on Fleetwood to finally breakthrough on the PGA Tour.
3. TOM KIM +2500 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Tom Kim has been a consistent performer at this event since 2022, carding finishes of solo third and T6 in the past two years. The 22-year-old South Korean native just fell short in a playoff against Scottie Scheffler at Travelers, but he's rested and ready to lean on his driver, ranked 25th in total driving, including 13th in driving accuracy rate.
Kim is 28th for birdie average and 44th hole proximity, while ranking inside the top-40 on par 3 and par 5 holes. He's moved up from +2800 to +2500 in the outright winner betting market, so at this price, let's invest accordingly.
4. Min Woo Lee +2800 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
A missed cut in 2022 and a T35 finish in 2023 are certainly far from ideal for former Scottish Open winner, Min Woo Lee, but he showed strong form at the Rocket Mortgage Classic with a runner-up finish a couple of weeks ago. He's also gone T26 or better in six consecutive events, so Lee finds himself in a good rhythm returning to a course that brought him one of four international wins.
Ranked sixth SG: off-the-tee and top-40 for approach shots longer than 200 yards, Lee's driver is an absolute weapon on links courses. He's 10th in three-putt avoidance, top-10 for par 5 birdie or better leaders, and tends to score his lowest rounds early in an event in 2024.
Lee is 38th for par 4 scoring average and ninth in par 5 scoring average, explaining why his odds have already shortened from +3500 to +2800 since the outright winner market opened up. A 0.50 unit wager at 28-1 gets us 14 units of profit, so let's bet on the 2021 Scottish Open winner to build off his current momentum from a runner-up finish two weeks ago at Detroit Golf Club.
5. BYEONG HUN AN +6000 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Byeong Hun An caught everyone's attention with his absurd 9-under-par Round 1 performance at this event last year. An has enjoyed a strong 2024, carding five top-ten finishes, while ranking 16th SG: off-the-tee and 46th SG: approach.
An can crush his driver, ranking fourth in driving distance, helpful at a course like the Renaissance Club. He also finds over 69 percent of greens in regulation, while ranking 34th for putting average and 42nd in hole proximity.
Sitting at second in birdie average in 2024, An is set up for a strong return at Renaissance Club. He didn't go over par during any round last year, so at 60-1, a 0.10 unit wager staked is sufficient.
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GOLF ODDS
Matt is an avid writer, editor, and researcher. He enjoys analyzing the game within the game which is fantasy sports and sports betting. Music is another constant in his daily life. Matt loves spending time with his wife and three pets. He likes to read, listen to podcasts, and is constantly motivated to create the most accurate and engaging content in the sports betting industry.