The Bullseye – Scottish Open

What a week it was in Ireland. I correctly predicted a Jon Rahm win (went out on a limb there), and Lahinch showed what a tremendous tournament venue it can be. There were guys struggling out there, but also low scores to be had, including Rahm’s Sunday 62. He put on an absolute ball-striking clinic, overpowering the short par-4s and par-5s, while putting very well all four days. It was a great week overall, with several other of my top plays contending. We had plenty of Rahm, Andy Sullivan, Jorge Campillo, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, and Edoardo Molinari to nearly win the $8 GPP on DraftKings. Maybe this week. We have one more links tune-up in Scotland before heading to Royal Portrush for the Open Championship!

The Renaissance Club is hosting the Scottish Open for the first time, so there’s a bit of an unknown element for many of these players. Some of the holes run in a “parkland” style and there isn’t as much bunkering as you typically see on links tracks. But overall, it’s a coastal venue where the wind should pick up and traditional links prowess will prevail. One of the unique aspects of this course is the set-up. The par-71 is just 7,136 yards but features four par-5s and five par-3s. The par-5s are on the longer side, with only one of them reachable for everyone in the field. I think scores will still be low, but likely not quite as low as we saw last week at Lahinch. Over the years, we’ve seen recent form be the biggest predictor of Scottish Open success, so I’m happy to pile back on guys who played well last week. Many of the PGA Tour pros are here using this as an Open tune-up, so we’ll get a look at Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, and several others. This is also the last chance for players to qualify for next week’s Open Championship, so links specialists and those motivated to qualify for the Open will be my focus this week.

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