A significant title gained’t be up for grabs — that can come every week later at the British Open — however the Genesis Scottish Open, which begins on Thursday at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, ought to generate numerous consideration given the caliber of contenders taking part in.
Eight of the high 10 gamers in the world rankings, together with No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 3 Rory McIlroy, and No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, will likely be in the area. Attempting to defend his crown will likely be No. 6 Xander Schauffele, who gained by a stroke in 2022.
Here are 5 others to regulate.
Tommy Fleetwood
Overshadowed throughout final month’s final-round battle in the United States Open at Los Angeles Country Club between the eventual champ, Wyndham Clark, and McIlroy was the seven-under 63 fired on Sunday by England’s Tommy Fleetwood, 32, who turned the first player to shoot that score twice at the Open. His different 63 got here in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, Long Island.
Nonetheless, Fleetwood, now ranked No. 22, failed on each events to win the trophy, and in additional than 100 begins has but to seize a match on the PGA Tour. He got here very shut the week earlier than the U.S. Open, dropping in a playoff to Nick Taylor of Canada at the RBC Canadian Open. In May, he tied for fifth at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Fleetwood, a two-time member of Team Europe in the Ryder Cup, has had his moments in the Scottish Open, ending second in 2020 and in a tie for fourth final 12 months.
Justin Thomas
With his tie for ninth at the Travelers Championship final month, his first top-10 end since March, it appeared Thomas, certainly one of the recreation’s high gamers, was again on observe.
Or not.
Every week later, he missed the minimize at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Thomas, who has dropped to No. 20 in the world, struggled mightily in the second spherical of the U.S. Open. He hit simply 5 fairways on his approach to capturing an 11-over 81, lacking the minimize by 12 strokes.
“It’s pretty humiliating and embarrassing shooting scores like that at a golf course I really, really liked,” he mentioned.
Thomas, 30, who won the 2022 P.G.A. Championship, has additionally fared poorly on this 12 months’s different majors. He missed the minimize at the Masters and tied for sixty fifth in the P.G.A.
With the British Open every week away, this could be time for him to regain his outdated type.
Rickie Fowler
Speaking of outdated type, along with his victory two weeks in the past at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, his first in 4 years, Fowler, 34, is formally again.
It was no shock given how properly Fowler, certainly one of the tour’s hottest gamers, was performing in current months. He has completed in the high 15 or higher in 9 of his 11 tournaments since mid-March.
In the U.S. Open, he began off with a record-setting 62 and was tied for the lead after three rounds. Although he pale in the ultimate spherical with a 75 to tie for fifth, he performed properly the subsequent week at the Travelers Championship, tying for thirteenth. In the third spherical, Fowler, who’s ranked No. 21 after beginning the 12 months at No. 103, flirted with a 59 earlier than capturing a 60. Every week later got here the triumph in Michigan.
Quite a bit was anticipated of Fowler, a star at Oklahoma State University, when he turned professional in 2009, and he didn’t disappoint. In 2014, he completed in the high 5 of every of the 4 majors. In 2015, he won the Players Championship.
Wyndham Clark
It wasn’t too way back when informal golf followers have been in all probability saying to themselves: Wyndham who?
The U.S. Open modified that, giving Clark, ranked No. 11 in the world, sudden fame.
The query is: Was his efficiency a fluke — different less-heralded gamers have claimed main championships solely to vanish quickly afterward — or will Clark, 29, be a power on the tour?
Clark picked up his first victory at this 12 months’s Wells Fargo Classic and has the recreation to win extra tournaments, together with majors. He hits it a good distance, and the way he was in a position to maintain off McIlroy down the stretch at the Open in Los Angeles was one thing to behold.
“It’s been a whirlwind few weeks and an amazing season so far, all coming together in L.A. a few weeks ago,” Clark mentioned. “I’m looking forward to keeping things going over the summer.”
Viktor Hovland
In three of the previous 4 main championships, Hovland, ranked No. 5, has been in the hunt. Sooner or later, he’s sure to break by way of.
Hovland, who could be the first man from Norway to win a significant, was the co-leader with McIlroy heading into the ultimate spherical of final 12 months’s British Open. He faltered with a 74 to end in a tie for fourth.
At this 12 months’s Masters, he opened with a 65 and, although he had his troubles the subsequent two rounds, was nonetheless solely three again going into the ultimate spherical. For the second straight main, nevertheless, he closed with a 74 to end in a tie for seventh, failing to make a birdie till the thirteenth gap. A month later, he tied for second in the P.G.A. Championship, two behind the winner, Brooks Koepka.
In June, Hovland, 25, captured his fourth tour victory and largest but, the Memorial Tournament, in a playoff over Denny McCarthy. Hovland knocked in a 30-footer on 17 and saved par from 5 toes on 18 in regulation. In the playoff, he made a seven-footer for the win.
