2022 Scottish Open: PGA Tour Betting Odds and Predictions
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas are co-favourites on the golf odds.
This writer was somewhat on the fence about whether to preview this tournament or the opposite-field Barbasol Championship on the PGA Tour from Kentucky, but there’s really no comparison in terms of field quality. With the British Open next week, nearly everyone of note is in the United Kingdom already and many are playing this tournament. A lot did when it was simply a European Tour event (now called DP World Tour), but going forward it’s also co-sponsored by the PGA Tour.
Nine of the world’s Top 10 – only Rory McIlroy is not — are set to tee it up from The Renaissance Club, a links course in North Berwick on Scotland’s “Golf Coast.” It’s a par 71 at approximately 7,290 yards. Three spots for the British Open are up for grabs for top finishers who haven’t already qualified. A few Americans have won this tournament, including Rickie Fowler in 2015 and Phil Mickelson in 2013.
The defending champion is Australian Minn Woo Lee, who sank an 8-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Matt Fitzpatrick (this year’s U.S. Open winner) and Thomas Detry. Lee finished his final 43 holes with an eagle, 15 birdies and just one bogey. It was Lee’s second career European Tour win, and he hasn’t added another since. He was T27 at this year’s U.S. Open and is +16000 to repeat this week.
Once again, though, we have to bring up the rogue LIV Golf Series as the European Tour banned any of its members from that series from playing this week just like the PGA Tour has banned them from all its events (including Mickelson) – major championships are not part of that as they are self-run. There are 75 golfers from the PGA Tour in the field. By field strength, the Scottish Open will be the strongest non-major in European Tour history.
The Scottish Open returns to the Renaissance Club for a fourth-straight year on Thursday.
The best in the world arrive a week early to fine-tune their games before the historic 150th Open at St. Andrews next weekend.@ZeeManGolf gives us his best bets. #PGATour #PGAPicks pic.twitter.com/JRMZweHbZx
— Sports Interaction (@SIASport) July 6, 2022
Scottish Open Golf Odds
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas are each +1100 favourites. Neither played last week at the John Deere Classic, which was won by JT Poston (not playing in this event). Thomas has played this tournament twice and was Top 10 in both. Rahm made his event debut last year and was seventh.
World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler is +1200, Xander Schauffele +1600 and Matthew Fitzpatrick +2000. Scheffler was T12 here last year, Schauffele was T10 and Fitzpatrick one of the playoff losers. The Englishman plays here every year but hadn’t been Top 10 previously.
I’m not going to pick him to win personally, but one perhaps worth long shot is Lucas Herbert at +9300. He has been T4 here in back-to-back years and comes off a T10 at the Irish Open.
To no surprise, no Canadians have won this event and few have likely ever played it. Most on the current PGA Tour will be in Kentucky this week if they are playing at all. Corey Conners is +4500 in Scotland. He missed the cut last year. You can get him head-to-head at -111 vs. Cameron Young (also -111). Mackenzie Hughes is +15000 in his debut.
Scottish Open Golf Predictions
Let’s try something different this week: Simply go USA as nationality of winner at -125. That it goes to a playoff for a fourth straight year is +350 on the winning margin prop and might not be a bad play, either.