GULLANE, Scotland — It was quite a moment and quite a shot, one Robert MacIntyre will surely remember forever, no matter what the 26-year-old Scot goes on to achieve in his career. And it was, no matter the pureness of the strike, or how well he coped in a time of great excitement and stress, a lesson in how to take full advantage of a huge slice of good fortune.

The story goes like this.

Standing on the Renaissance Club’s 18th tee, MacIntyre was five under par for the final day of the Genesis Scottish Open, 13 under par for the week and tied for the lead with a guy named Rory McIlroy. MacIntyre’s drive was a poor one, badly sliced by the lefty into what looked like heavy rough well left of the fairway. So far, so not so good.

It was here, however, that MacIntyre got his break, one the poor quality of his tee shot hardly deserved. But no matter. Instead of the expected heave-ho back to the short grass, the lad from Oban was presented with a nice lie on a conveniently located pathway through the rough. And then, from 213 yards, he struck a 3-wood to inside four feet from the cup.

One of the top shots of the year!

Scotland's @Robert1Lefty just stuck it from 213 yards to 3 feet on the 72nd hole @ScottishOpen! pic.twitter.com/fVk7DWQbDP

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 16, 2023

“I changed clubs because I thought my rescue club couldn’t get there,” he said. “I end up slicing my 3-wood in there to take some distance off and it came out absolutely perfect. Yes, I hit a poor tee shot, but that has to be one of the best shots I’ve ever hit in my life.”

This angle of @Robert1Lefty's incredible shot ?

What a moment for Scotland's own on the 72nd hole @ScottishOpen ??????? pic.twitter.com/c7tgwHjIkn

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 16, 2023

The ensuing birdie—only the second of the day on a 483-yard par-4 averaging 4.63—was a mere formality. MacIntyre, who left the green in tears, was around in 64, a magnificent effort in conditions less than ideal. And one playing partner David Lingmerth was moved to describe as “one of the best I’ve ever witnessed.”

Still, enough to ensure victory? As things turned out, it wasn’t. But only eventually. And only because of McIlroy’s brilliance elsewhere. So, although MacIntyre was clearly disappointed at the outcome, pushing the man many feel is the best player in the world into making two late birdies to secure victory remains something to be proud of.

“I’m delighted with the way I played,” was MacIntyre’s immediate verdict. “But this is a sore one to take right now. It’s a dream for any Scotsman to win the Scottish Open. I used to watch this event when it was played at Loch Lomond. But it just wasn’t to be. I have to take my hat off to Rory. What a finish. He’s probably the best in the world, so when he needs to produce he knows that to do. And he did it today.”

While fulsome in his praise of McIlroy, MacIntyre also has much to be proud of. This performance comes at the end of bleak few months, ever since he picked up the Italian Open title last September. Having made his way into the world’s top 50 after finishing T-12 in the 2022 Masters, the 26-year-old shinty enthusiast has slithered down the rankings. This week, he arrived as the 104th-best player on the planet. But still not lacking self-confidence.

“I haven’t proved much to myself this week,” he continued. “I know what I can and can’t do. I think I can play against anyone when my game is on. And this shows I’m there or thereabouts.”

Going forward, this result will make MacIntyre a sound each-way bet for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. He is clearly something of an expert when it comes to links golf, having finished T-6 in the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush. Then there is the Ryder Cup. Before this week, no one was pitching him to be the first Scot to play in the biennial contest since Stephen Gallacher in 2014 at Gleneagles. But things change quickly in golf. All it takes is a wee bit of luck and lot of talent.

The post ‘One of the best shots of my life’: Robert MacIntyre didn’t win the Scottish Open, but did claim this incredible memory appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It looked for a while like Rory McIlroy was going to be blown away by the wicked winds steadily buffeting the golfers on Sunday at the Genesis Scottish Open. The 54-hole leader at the Renaissance Club in Gullane, Scotland, McIlroy was struggling early to handle the steady 20 to 30-mile-per-hour winds, making four bogeys and turning at two over on the front nine. Meanwhile, Scotland’s own Robert MacIntyre had jumped past him on the leaderboard, posting an impressive closing 64 (the best score by two on the day) to take the clubhouse lead.

But McIlroy came up clutch at the close. Birdies on the 11th and 14th holes were then followed by two more on the 17th and 18th holes (only the third all day) to finish off a closing 68. That let the Northern Irishman pip MacIntrye by one shot with a 15-under 266 total and claim his first victory as a professional in Scotland.

“This is right up there with the best of them,” McIlroy said of an impressive close he had in claiming his 24th PGA Tour title and 16th on the DP World Tour (this tournament is a co-sanctioned event for the two).

The victory earned McIlroy the first-place prize money payout of $1,575,000 from a total purse of $9 million. Here’s how much each golfer who made the cut earns this week.

Win: Rory McIlroy, 265/-15, $1,575,000

2: Robert MacIntyre, 266/-14, $985,500

T-3: Byeong Hun An, 270/-10, $468,450

T-3: David Lingmerth, 270/-10, $468,450

T-3: Scottie Scheffler, 270/-10, $468,450

T-6: Tommy Fleetwood, 271/-9, $261,990

T-6: Tyrrell Hatton, 271/-9, $261,990

T-6: Nicolai Hojgaard, 271/-9, $261,990

T-6: Tom Kim, 271/-9, $261,990

T-6: J.T. Poston, 271/-9, $261,990

11: Grant Forrest, 272/-8, $197,100

T-12: Ewen Ferguson, 273/-7, $151,007.15

T-12: Jordan Smith, 273/-7, $151,007.15

T-12: Ryan Fox, 273/-7, $151,007.14

T-12: Brian Harman, 273/-7, $151,007.14

T-12: Lee Hodges, 273/-7, $151,007.14

T-12: Max Homa, 273/-7, $151,007.14

T-12: Shane Lowry, 273/-7, $151,007.14

T-19: Sam Burns, 274/-6, $105,750

T-19: Corey Conners, 274/-6, $105,750

T-19: Sean Crocker, 274/-6, $105,750

T-19: Garrick Higgo, 274/-6, $105,750

T-19: Tom Hoge, 274/-6, $105,750

T-19: Nick Taylor, 274/-6, $105,750

T-25: Wyndham Clark, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Will Gordon, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Ben Griffin, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Calum Hill, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Viktor Hovland, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Romain Langasque, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Thorbjørn Olesen, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Yannik Paul, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Marcel Schneider, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-25: Gary Woodland, 275/-5, $73,597.50

T-35: Alexander Björk, 276/-4, $52,810.72

T-35: Luke List, 276/-4, $52,810.72

T-35: Tom McKibbin, 276/-4, $52,810.72

T-35: Min Woo Lee, 276/-4, $52,810.71

T-35: Victor Perez, 276/-4, $52,810.71

T-35: Tapio Pulkkanen, 276/-4, $52,810.71

T-35: Davis Riley, 276/-4, $52,810.71

T-42: Jorge Campillo, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Thomas Detry, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Rickie Fowler, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Padraig Harrington, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Maximilian Kieffer, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Ben Martin, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Andrew Putnam, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Richie Ramsay, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Xander Schauffele, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Marcel Siem, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Sebastian Soderberg, 277/-3, $36,255

T-42: Matt Wallace, 277/-3, $36,255

T-54: Julien Brun, 278/-2, $26,190

T-54: Daniel Hillier, 278/-2, $26,190

T-54: Kurt Kitayama, 278/-2, $26,190

T-54: Joakim Lagergren, 278/-2, $26,190

T-54: Joost Luiten, 278/-2, $26,190

T-54: Guido Migliozzi, 278/-2, $26,190

T-60: Eric Cole, 279/-1, $23,220

T-60: Harry Hall, 279/-1, $23,220

T-60: Lucas Herbert, 279/-1, $23,220

T-60: Justin Thomas, 279/-1, $23,220

T-60: Dale Whitnell, 279/-1, $23,220

T-65: Austin Eckroat, 280/E, $20,340

T-65: Billy Horschel, 280/E, $20,340

T-65: Ashun Wu, 280/E, $20,340

T-68: Adri Arnaus, 281/+1, $19,170

T-68: Gavin Green, 281/+1, $19,170

T-68: Antoine Rozner, 281/+1, $19,170

T-68: Erik van Rooyen, 281/+1, $19,170

72: K.H. Lee, 282/+2, $18,720

73: Ben Taylor, 283/+3, $18,540

74: Connor Syme, 284/+4, $18,360

75: Dan Bradbury, 285/+5, $18,180

76: Sami Valimaki, 286/+6, $18,000

77: Matthew Jordan, 287/+7, $17,820

The post Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

We’ve been here a few times lately. And here we go again. With 18 holes to play in the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, Rory McIlroy leads. The Northern Irishman is 13 under par after a 67 on Saturday and holds a one-shot advantage over Tom Kim (67).

Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman are two back, with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and former Open champion Shane Lowry part of a five-strong group three shots to the bad.

In other words, this thing is far from over. The high quality within the chasing pack looming in McIlroy’s rearview mirror is clear. Then there is the promise of rough winds even for a part of the world renowned for bluster. The forecast is calling for gusts up to 50 mph, a prospect that will see the leaders tee off at 8:57 a.m. local time (3:57 ET) Sunday morning.

Finally, the recent fragility of McIlroy when in contention has to be taken into account, even if the law of averages in such circumstances must surely favour the four-time major champion.

Still, although clearly aware of all of the above, McIlroy was making positive noises in the wake of a day that perhaps could and should have been better. Four under par and bogey-free through two holes, the leader was “scrappy” en route back to the clubhouse. Only one birdie came along amidst two dropped shots, a conclusion that undoubtedly brought hope to those in pursuit of a man who— amazingly—has yet to win in Scotland as a professional.

By way of contrast, Scheffler played the last seven holes in three under, picking up four shots on the leader and going from also-ran to define contender.

“Patience is a really good word for today,” said McIlroy. “Overall, it was another solid day. I’ve got myself in a great position going into the final day, even if there are a lot of great players right behind me. It’s going to be difficult for everyone. When the wind gets up to where they say it might tomorrow, there is obviously a lot of skill involved. But it’s also about attitude and staying upbeat whenever a bad break comes along. The ball isn’t always going to do what you want it to do. So, the guy with the best attitude is going to have the best chance.

Tom Kim on the 16th green during the third round of the Genesis Scottish Open. Ross Parker – SNS Group

“I felt like I’ve hit my irons well for the last three days,” he continued. “I’ve struggled to read these greens a bit. I’m sort of confusing myself. There’s a lot of subtle undulations, so it’s more about trusting the line you pick and trying to put a good stroke on it. I’ve played really good golf, solid golf, and got myself into the final group going into tomorrow. If someone had told me that on Thursday morning, I’d have taken it.”

One thing McIlroy can be sure of on Day 4 is the overwhelming support of the crowd. They know a thing or two about golf in this part of the world, a fact the 32-year-old World No. 3 clearly appreciates.

“They’re very knowledgeable here,” confirmed McIlroy. “Take my shot into 18. It was only a 165-yard shot, but the pin was on the left up on a little plateau. I hit it 40 feet right, but they knew that was a pretty good golf shot. Maybe in other parts of the world they’d see me hit a shot from that far away to that distance and not clap. They just wouldn’t appreciate the difficulty of the shot. So, this is such a knowledgeable crowd, really supportive. It’s nice to play in front of them.”

Still, even with the vast majority of the crowd in his corner, McIlroy would be less than human if he did not harbor doubts as to his ability to maintain the edge he currently holds for 18 more holes. Not renowned for his ability to play well in wind, he claimed to be much improved in that department.

“I’ve become a better wind player over the years,” he suggested. “There was a time when I would’ve said I wasn’t but I’m definitely better than I was.”

One last inquiry did provoke a response that subtly identified perhaps the biggest hurdle McIlroy must overcome before he heads south to Hoylake and the Open.

Asked if he could identify the worst conditions in which he has ever won a tournament. McIlroy was stumped for an answer. Which spoke volumes.

Then again, should he win for the first time in Scotland amidst near gale-force winds, the answer to that particular question is going to be easy. But any other outcome is going to be hard to take. For McIlroy, much is at stake.

The post Rory McIlroy faces a final round with gale-force winds in bid to notch first Scotland win appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Hawke, whose real name is Milo McCabe, is a standup character comedian who apparently specializes in … wait for it … greeting people. But this is no ordinary greeter at your local Walmart. This is a greeter who can sum up a man’s entire existence with one hilarious line on command. 

Case in point, this video from the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, where Hawke welcomed players in earlier this week with some of the funniest and most random characterizations you’ll ever hear. Hawke starts by calling Viktor Hovland a “flaming skillet of sporting prowess,” and his greetings only got better from there. Enjoy:

Latest #greetersguild with @PGATOUR and @DPWorldTour at the #ScottishOpen

pic.twitter.com/7TdEpQnG9F

— Troy Hawke (@TroyHawke) July 13, 2023

As you can see, much like us, just about every single player who Hawke greeted has zero clue who he is. But he quickly made his presence known with some of these greetings, like calling Tyrrell Hatton “the naughty Hemsworth,” which feels like a compliment even though Tyrrell didn’t seem to take it as one:

It should come as a shock to no one that Hatton is the type of dude who is not ready to deal with any of this sh-t until he’s had his morning coffee. 

RELATED: Rickie Fowler continues incredible hot streak, buys childhood range where his dad worked

Outside of Hovland, nobody took it in stride quite like Matthew Fitzpatrick, who Hawke described as a man with an “admirable Northern grit, but you slink like [David] Bowie.” Perfect:

We could continue listing all of our favourites, but you might as well just scroll up and watch it again yourself. It’s that good. Worth it for Hawke telling Garrick Higgo that is short shorts are “putting in a wonderful shift” alone. We’d love to fully tip our cap to the PGA Tour on this one, but, knowing what we know, this has the DP World Tour’s social media fingerprints all over it. Good job by all, except for whoever edited the video and cut out whatever Marcus “The Bullet” Armitage was about to say at the 1:53 mark. You need to let that man cook any chance you get.

The post ‘A flaming skillet of sporting prowess’: This Scottish Open greeter is the best thing to ever happen at a PGA Tour event appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Rickie Fowler is always one of the most popular golfers wherever he plays, but he’s in particularly high demand at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open. Not only is the PGA Tour star a former winner of this event, but he’s in the midst of a resurgence and coming off his first win in more than four years at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. So not surprisingly, many of the fans in attendance at The Renaissance Club have been screaming his name—they just haven’t all been screaming his name at the right player.

Here’s where Ewen Ferguson enters the story. The 27-year-old is a native of Scotland and a two-time DP World Tour winner. So you would think he would be pretty recognizable in his own right in these parts. But apparently, he keeps getting confused for the 34-year-old American. Even after playing his way into contention with an opening 66 on Thursday.

“It’s so funny the things I was hearing today walking around the course, ‘Rickie! Rickie!’” Ferguson told reporters following Thursday’s round. “I’m like, I need to break that guy’s heart; I’m not him.”

We can kinda see the resemblance. Although, if you look at the photo above, a lot of that probably has to do with the fact Ferguson is also sponsored by Cobra and Puma. And he likes to wear sunglasses on the course. Take those away, and, well, see for yourself:

Ross Parker – SNS Group

RELATED: Rory McIlroy was in awe after losing long drive contest to teenager

Ewen looks more like Adam Scott there. Or Jon Snow. Regardless, he’s a good-looking dude, he’s just not as similar-looking to Rickie Fowler as people think. And yet, the confusion continues.

“Even when I pulled up on the last here to the recording, they were shouting Rickie. I’m like, not Rickie, mate,” Ferguson added. “I’m just a wee guy from Glasgow. I don’t think it’s that bad. He’s some golfer, isn’t he.”

The good news for Ferguson? (Well, other than the fact that there are much, much worse people to be mistaken for.) For at least one day, he bested Rickie, who shot 67. And three more rounds like Thursday’s, and Ewen will have people shouting his actual name at him.

RELATED: Tyrrell Hatton shows remarkable restraint for ‘horrid’ Scottish Open shot

The post Scottish Open golf fans keep confusing this DP World Tour winner for Rickie Fowler appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The South Korean carded nine birdies to set the early target ahead of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Belgian Thomas Detry, while American Davis Riley threatened his lead in the afternoon. Although he carded seven birdies in eight holes from the third, An would not be caught in the third Rolex Series event of the season.

Riley was also bogey-free to sit at seven under after a 63, a shot clear of Detry and McIlroy and two ahead of South Korea’s K.H. Lee and German Yannik Paul.

An is no stranger to claiming big wins on the DP World Tour, having triumphed at the BMW PGA Championship in 2015 en route to finishing seventh in the Race to Dubai and winning the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.

He also has a win on the European Challenge Tour and revealed he felt right at home in Europe and on links having played in eight Open Championships.

“It’s great,” he said. “I feel like I’m back home. This is the Tour where I started my professional career. It’s been great coming back and playing links golf, definitely it’s nice.

“I started on the Challenge Tour playing links courses and played The Open many times. I like links golf.

“It’s different than the courses we play in the US. You just have to land it in different spots. I really like it and as long as the weather is nice, and I prefer warm weather, but a links course, I feel comfortable. It can get tricky hitting shots into (the wind) but I think I did well today.”

An got up and down to birdie the par-five tenth and then rattled off four birdies in a row from the 13th. Brilliant iron play saw him make a hat-trick of gains from inside seven feet before he made another up-and-down birdie on a par five at the 16th.

He made a nine-footer on the second and a smart chip helped complete his set of par-five birdies on the next before he put an approach to six feet at the short par-four fifth and holed from 24 feet for a closing gain.

“It was nice, always, bogey-free nine under par,” he said. “I couldn’t play any better. I drove it well and hit it well and chipped it well and putted well. That’s a clean scorecard.

“I hit a lot of shots close, a lot of wedges close. It’s one of those days, every shot you hit just has a perfect number. Pitched right, exactly, and how the ball reacted on the greens, everything was perfect.

“Some of the putts I had were very straightforward putts that I think I left in a good spot.”

Riley made a two-putt birdie on the third and then put on a masterclass with the short stick to make four more in a row from between five and 26 feet.

A tee-shot to seven feet on the difficult par-three ninth saw him turn in 29 and he added another birdie with a two-putt on then tenth before parring his way home.

Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex leader McIlroy made a two-putt birdie on the par-five tenth and then holed from around 20 feet on the 12th and 13th.

A 41-foot putt on the 15th was followed by an up-and-down birdie on the par-five next and, while McIlroy bogeyed the 17th and second, he eagled the par-five third with a 30-footer from off the green after a 360-yard drive and made the most of the short par-four fifth after leaving himself a flick in.

Detry made birdie from inside 12 feet on the tenth, 11th, 12th and 14th to get off to a lightning start and, while he dropped a shot on the 16th, he left himself a tap-in on the next.

Another bogey came on the fourth but smart approaches to the fifth and eighth were followed by another stunner on the ninth as he got to six under.

Lee was bogey-free in his 65, while Paul carded four birdies, an eagle and a bogey to sit a shot ahead of American duo Max Homa and Will Gordon, local favourite Ewen Ferguson, South African Oliver Bekker, Frenchman Julien Brun, England’s Ross Fisher, South Korean Tom Kim and Swede David Lingmerth.

The post Byeong Hun An ties Renaissance record to lead in Scotland appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

On the second hole of his first round, Hatton hit what an announcer described as a “horrid” approach shot. And upon impact he dropped the club with a loud thud so it’s not like he didn’t show any frustration. Again, this is Tyrrell Hatton we’re talking about. But what he did next will probably surprise you. Have a look and listen:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by DP World Tour (@dpworldtour)

That’s right, he laughed. Like a maniac. “That was so bad,” the announcer says in the clip, “he didn’t even get angry at it.”

Hey, maybe those DP World Tour anger management classes are finally starting to pay off! In any event, Hatton’s reaction certainly didn’t hurt his score. After hitting that “horrid” shot, he managed to save par on his way to shooting an opening 69. So now he can laugh about it even more.

The post Tyrrell Hatton showed remarkable restraint following this epic club drop appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In 2015, McIlroy lost an arm wrestling contest to a junior golfer (to be fair, he was a big junior golfer). And on Wednesday, he took the bait from a college golfer on a long drive competition, and, well, you can guess where this is going.

The four-time major champ was wrapping up final preparations for this week’s Genesis Scottish Open when he was approached on the range at The Renaissance Club by Ruben Lindsay. The rising redshirt sophomore at the University of Houston is a Scottish native and had played in the day’s pro-am. He also happens to possess jaw-dropping swing speed. Even when that jaw belongs to Rory McIlroy.

Check it out as Lindsay goes first and bombs one 374 yards with an absurd 195-mile-per-hour ball speed. McIlroy is in awe before putting up a pretty darn good effort of his own:

195 MPH ball speed ?@McIlroyRory was in awe of 19-year-old Ruben Lindsay's speed @ScottishOpen. pic.twitter.com/WSy7eaBlNT

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 12, 2023

We’re not sure if McIlroy actually said “Wow,” or something a little more NSFW, but you get the point. He was impressed. And unfortunately for him, 352 yards and 188 mph couldn’t get it done. Not even close. Crazy.

Anyway, here’s Lindsay describing how this thrilling moment/triumph all went down. Turns out, this confident young man has been wanting a piece of Rory in the long drive for a while and he won a nice little side bet with a friend.

Challenging Rory and winning ?

A moment the @UHCougarMGolf freshman will never forget @ScottishOpen. pic.twitter.com/ylOJienRXF

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 12, 2023

To be clear, Lindsay isn’t even in the field at the Scottish Open. Otherwise, he’d be drawing some McIlroy-sized crowds on Thursday. Again, good on Rory for being a good sport. And at least he didn’t put any money on this impromptu range competition. That would have been an all-time hustle.

The post Rory McIlroy was in awe of this 19-year-old’s swing speed after getting smoked in a long drive contest appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The leading three players not already exempt who make the cut in the Genesis Scottish Open will earn places in The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool from 16-23 July.

The Genesis Scottish Open is the fifteenth event in The Open Qualifying Series and will be played from 13-16 July at the Renaissance Club.

Players in the field at the Genesis Scottish Open who are already exempt for The 151st Open:
Adri Arnaus
Daniel Hillier
Joost Luiten
Scottie Scheffler
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Lee Hodges
Robert MacIntyre
Adam Scott
Alexander Bjork
Tom Hoge
Rory McIlroy
Shubhankar Sharma
Dan Bradbury
Max Homa
Adrian Meronk
Callum Shinkwin
Sam Burns
Billy Horschel
Guido Migliozzi
Marcel Siem
Jorge Campillo
Viktor Hovland
Francesco Molinari
Jordan Smith
Patrick Cantlay
Rasmus Hojgaard
Alex Noren
Matthew Southgate
Wyndham Clark
Sungjae Im
Thorbjorn Olesen
Jordan Spieth
Corey Conners
Matthew Jordan
Adrian Otaegui
Scott Stallings
Thomas Detry
Bio Kim Yannik Paul
Ockie Strydom
Ewen Ferguson
Michael Kim
Victor Perez
Connor Syme
Matt Fitzpatrick
Tom Kim
JT Poston
Nick Taylor
Tommy Fleetwood
Kurt Kitayama
Seamus Power
Sahith Theegala
Rickie Fowler
Romain Langasque
Andrew Putnam
Justin Thomas
Ryan Fox
Pablo Larrazabal
Richie Ramsay
Sami Valimaki
Ben Griffin
Thriston Lawrence
Davis Riley
Matt Wallace
Brian Harman
KH Lee
Justin Rose
Danny Willett
Padraig Harrington
Min Woo Lee
Antoine Rozner
Oilver Wilson
Tyrrell Hatton
Hurly Long
Kalle Samooja
Gary Woodland
Lucas Herbert
Shane Lowry
Xander Schauffele

In the event of a tie for a qualifying place, the player with the higher ranking in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) at the beginning of the week commencing 10 July will be awarded a place in The 151st Open.

The post Three places in the 151st Open on offer at the Genesis Scottish Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

News flash: Links golf in the British Isles is different. Different from the norm on the PGA Tour that is. Where most events in the US involve shots that are played mostly through the air, across the pond the bounce and roll of the ball after it lands are typically also parts of the overall equation. So it is that this week’s Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth is as good as it gets for those looking to combine competitive play with seaside practice before next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Still, within those parameters, many agendas exist. Not every player is arriving in East Lothian for the co-sponsored PGA Tour/DP World Tour event with the same priorities. The lucky ones have made the trip on the back of some encouraging form. Others are struggling a little. Some haven’t played at all for a couple of weeks. The common factor though is that no one really knows with 100 percent certainty how things are going to go in golf’s most unpredictable format. Links golf is a multi-faceted affair, one that asks an often-dizzying array of questions all the way from driver to putter. That is why so many believe golf in the land where the game began is the ultimate test, both mentally and physically.

“Not to diminish the Scottish Open, which is great, but if any of us had to choose one to win in the next two weeks it’s going to be the Open,” says two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas. “So for sure, my mind is looking ahead, at least when it comes to prepping for links golf. My best performances in the Open, which admittedly have not been that great, have come after I’ve played in the Scottish Open. So just being here is a good start for me.”

Thomas also noted the importance of simply getting acclimated to the U.K. overall. “The time zone change is a big thing for me,” Thomas said. “I’ve been in London for a couple of days before coming here and that has helped. I don’t usually feel this fresh at 4 p.m. on the Monday before the Scottish. Ideally, of course, I’d like to get myself in contention here. Playing under pressure will tell me more about where my game is than anything else.”

Thomas’ obvious uncertainty surely stems from a run of recent form that has been less than encouraging. But at least he has some idea of what to expect. Ryan Fox is one who can’t say the same. The burly New Zealander is here on the back of three weeks at home, dealing with a family bereavement.

RELATED: Dear Americans: The Open Championship is not called “The British”

“My aim is just to find some form,” Fox said. “I’ve played here a few times though, so I know how to get myself around. I just need to hit shots and get some confidence going. I’m normally pretty good at coming in cold. I went to the PGA [Championship] in May with little golf in my locker. This week will be much the same. On the range, I’ll be looking to control my flights and trajectories. You have to do that in links golf, although not quite as much here as it will be at Hoylake. The height and penetration on my shots will be key there, so I’ll be working on that this week.”

One who has already seen some success over the Tom Doak-designed Renaissance is Aaron Rai, who won the Scottish Open here in 2020. The Englishman, who has been busy establishing himself on the PGA Tour, where he sits 56th on the FedEx Cup points list, might be well aware of the challenges ahead, but he is also cognizant of the fact that absence can make the heart grow unfamiliar.

“I grew up playing a lot of links golf, but I haven’t seen much of that on the PGA Tour,” Rai said. “So this week I’ll be re-learning what I used to know so well. It is such a contrast, in almost every way. The fringes we chip off. The speed of the greens. The style of the greens. Everything is an adjustment.

“What you have here is a lot more choice,” he continues. “I’ve been working hard on my short game for that reason. I’ve hit a lot of shots in the 20- to 40-yard range with everything from a lob wedge to a 6-iron. And they’ve all been the right club at times. There’s a lot of thought required. You have to remain open to almost any possibility around the greens. Especially when the conditions get tough, it’s all about flight control and ‘creating’ the shot.”

Emphasis on less-than-full shots is also where former U.S Open champion Gary Woodland will be focusing over the coming days.

“It’s nice to get accustomed to the time change and, most importantly, ‘see’ some different shots,” Woodland says. “In America, there aren’t many questions to answer. You hit the ball up in the air and it pretty much stops where it lands. That’s not the case here. You need more imagination. You need to get the ball on the ground early and use the slopes. I like to play the ball low. I grew up in the wind. But the short shots over here are different. I’ll be spending a lot of time on shots around the practice green here.”

Then there is the putting. The general consensus is that Old World greens are noticeably slower than those on the PGA Tour. So, yet again, adjustment is required.

“Long lag putts are always key here,” says Max Homa. “I don’t normally find myself putting from 100 feet or so, but I do over here. Everything is just not what I’m used to. Even the texture of the sand is different. So I’m here just because I want to feel more comfortable in a place where you can be hitting a 7-iron 100 yards one minute, then 220 the next. It’s just awkward, as there is always the possibility of bad bounces. I have a good caddie though. He’s very good at knowing where the ball is likely to end up after it lands. I’ll lean on him a lot.”

Indeed, two themes are developing, both summed up neatly by Thomas.

“The biggest adjustment for me is always around the greens,” he said. “You can’t replicate that until you get here. There is nowhere I can go in Florida to rehearse the chip and pitch shots I’ll be asked to play in the next couple of weeks. Then on the longer shots I also like having the opportunity to use the ground more than I normally do. Which is why I hit a few more 2-irons than usual last week at home. At the end of the day though, it’s still golf.”

Indeed, it is. Only different.

The post ‘It’s still golf,’ only different: Open Championship prep begins with the Scottish Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.