The Genesis Scottish Open is here. It feels like a major tournament. Keyword, feels. The actual major tournament, The Open, golf’s oldest tournament, is scheduled next week. But the field in Scotland is not treating the Scottish Open like a tune-up to The Open. If nothing else, the field at the Renaissance Club is excited about the mix of players scheduled to hit the links.
While, yes, PGA Tour players like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are expected this weekend, fans should also expect to see, yes, LIV Tour players. That’s because the Scottish Open is co-sanctioned by the PGA and European Tours. So, while the PGA Tour banned players who defected to play with LIV some four years ago, the European Tour has allowed them to play at its events.
At the Scottish Open ($9 million purse), seven LIV players will be present: Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, David Puig, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, Laurie Canter, and Tom McKibbin. Brooks Koepka is also in the field, though he has already returned to the PGA from LIV.
But for Rahm, in particular, it’ll be his first Scottish Open appearance since 2022.
“Just happy the DP World Tour let me have the opportunity and that I can be here and play what’s not only a great week but a great golf course, great crowd,” Rahm said, via the Golf Channel. “It’s one of my favorite weeks, so it’s really fun to be here again.”
Rahm is among the players who see the field at the Scottish Open as elite.
“As far as strength of field goes, it does feel like you have two majors in a row without being a major,” he said, via Golf Digest. “It’s that good.”
McIlroy agrees, despite his strong feelings about LIV.
“I’ve talked about wanting to have all of the best players in the world play together,” he said this week. “Yeah, I guess this is good.”
Rahm added, “You’re not only playing the type of golf you need to be playing. You’re also playing against a world-class field.”
The 154th Open Championship is next week
The Open will be held at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. It’s a classic championship links course. And while the Renaissance Club is not a links course, it sure does have a feel to it that is firm and fast.
It may be easy to look ahead at The Open Championship next week. But not for Scheffler, who is defending his Open title next week and seeking his first win since January at The American Express in La Quinta, California. By no means is he looking at the Scottish Open as a tune-up.
“I didn’t come over here just for Open prep,” he said. “I came over here to play golf and play well.”
