RADIO
Hi, golf fans! Welcome back to "Horse For The Course." It was a big week for the RotoBaller crew at the John Deere Classic, as several of my PGA colleagues here at the site were on big Sepp Straka, who despite a head-scratching double bogey on his final hole of the tournament, still fired a Sunday 62 to win at TPC Deere Run.
While I'm happy for my boys that were on "The Septic Tank", I'm also happy to be moving on from the paint-by-numbers birdie-fest of last week to something a bit more interesting at the Genesis Scottish Open.
"Horse For The Course" is an article that highlights players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For my favorite DFS plays of the week, check out my Core Four article here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our excellent PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using Promo Code: NICE for an extra discount at checkout!
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2023 Genesis Scottish Open
After a couple of weeks filled with Rockets, Deeres, and lots of birdies, the PGA Tour heads across the pond to The Renaissance Club for the Genesis Scottish Open. While architectural purists will debate whether or not Tom Doak's design is a "true links" golf course, it's inarguably a more interesting layout than what we've seen in the States over the last few weeks.
We're all now well aware of just how much the PGA Tour loves making deals, and in the case of the Scottish Open, they've actually made a good one, as we'll see a well-rounded field of the world's best golfers at The Renaissance Club thanks to the PGA Tour's "strategic alliance" (you gotta love these names) with the DP World Tour that allows this to be a co-sanctioned event between the two.
What does that mean? Well, we'll not only see some of the top U.S. stars that we're very familiar with, but we'll also see the best golfers that the DP World Tour has to offer. It's a very cool preview of what we'll see next week at the Open Championship, as American stars such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy (he's American now), and Jordan Spieth will tangle with DP Tour golfers that mostly ply their trade in Europe, such as Adrian Meronk, Ryan Fox, and Jordan Smith.
You can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week. Be sure to read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles to help you win big!
The Course: The Renaissance Club
Par 71 - 7,293 Yards, Greens: Fescue, Designed By: Tom Doak
Renowned architect Tom Doak built The Renaissance Club - his first course in Scotland - in 2008 and made some noticeable revisions in 2014. Players will face rugged terrain and deep bunkering this week, while the ground game will also come into play around the greens.
In true Scottish fashion, The Renaissance can be unpredictable due to the elements and its seaside exposure. This volatility is evident in the drastically different winning scores of the Scottish Open in recent years. My advice would be to monitor the weather forecast closely throughout the week, as there's always a chance of some tee time wave advantages when playing in these conditions.
Ball-striking and approach play always seems to be at the top of our "important stats" for every event and that's again the case for the Scottish Open. Outside of these concrete statistical areas, I will also explore players with strong links records and a history of playing well in windy conditions.
Recent Genesis Scottish Open Winners & Scoring Info
- 2022: Xander Schauffele (-7)
- 2021: Min Woo Lee (-18)
- 2020: Aaron Rai (-11)
- 2019: Bernd Weisberger (-22)
- Average Winning Score Last Five Years: -14.5
The Horse
Tommy Fleetwood
- Event Scoring Average: 69.87 (Eight career starts)
- Notable Course History: T4 (2022), T26 ('21), T2 ('20)
- DraftKings Price: $9,400 FanDuel Price: $
The Englishman continues to be a hard-luck figure when it comes to getting a win, but Fleetwood has continually put himself in contention throughout 2023, as well as in previous Scottish Opens.
After suffering through a bit of a post-Covid-layoff slump, Fleetwood has rebounded nicely over the past 18 months. He's posted four top-five finishes already this year with a T5 at the U.S. Open that was powered by a blistering final-round 63 being the most recent.
He notched a T4 on this Renaissance Club layout in last year's Genesis Scottish Open, as well as a runner-up finish on the Doak design in 2020. Perhaps "Fairway Jesus" can find a way to break his PGA Tour winless streak by getting a win in a PGA Tour event that isn't being held on U.S. soil?
It seemed like Tommy Fleetwood was the only player who embraced the conditions at the Scottish Open. https://t.co/umk9NAfSym
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) October 3, 2020
The Ponies
Xander Schauffele
- Event Scoring Average: 67.88 (Two career starts)
- Notable Course History: Win ('22), T10 ('21)
- DraftKings Price: $10,400 FanDuel Price: $
The Californian has felt right at home in Scotland across his two previous appearances at The Renaissance Club. Schauffele captured last year's edition while in the midst of an epic heater that saw him win the Travelers and Scottish Open in back-to-back starts.
While the X-Man isn't running that hot upon his return to Scotland this week, his form has been unsurprisingly consistent and inarguably elite. He comes into the week having logged top-25 finishes in eight consecutive starts.
The 29-year-old's game has no real soft spots and he ranks fifth in this week's field in SG: Total, while standing third in SG: Ball Striking (L24). Schauffele will obviously be comfortable on a Renaissance Club where he logged a T10 in 2021 in addition to last year's win. A successful title defense is a very real possibility this week and he should be considered an elite DFS option at the top of the board.
One year ago to the day, Xander Schauffele tapped in a short putt on the 18th green for a 1 shot victory at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open. 🏴🏆
He returns this week, eyeing a repeat performance for his 8th PGA Tour Win at The Renaissance Club. pic.twitter.com/e6OHsaeE2P
— Xander Schauffele Legion (@XanderLegion) July 10, 2023
Tyrrell Hatton
- Event Scoring Average: 68.47 (Eight career starts)
- Notable Course History: T24 ('22), T18 ('21), T14 ('19)
- DraftKings Price: $9,600 FanDuel Price: $
Obviously well-versed in the demands of links golf, the Englishman has been a study in consistency in previous trips to The Renaissance Club, finishing T24 or better in all three of his prior Scottish Open starts on the Doak design.
Hatton heads to this year's edition playing perhaps the finest golf of his career. Though a win has proved elusive, he has consistently displayed his upside this year, posting an eye-opening five top-five finishes to this point.
In addition to his all-world short game, his elite results can be attributed to his solidified ball striking. After finishing the 2021-22 season ranked 70th on the PGA Tour in SG: T2G, Hatton currently ranks ninth in the same category this season.
Tyrrell Hatton wears his emotions on his sleeve.
And it doesn't take a genius to figure out he's just a little frustrated after this epic club throw at the Scottish Open. Watch: https://t.co/XWjgWnufGb pic.twitter.com/AqI1ynXOSO
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) July 12, 2019
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End of the Season Totals: @rotoballer @BettorGolfPod
2017 +54.26 Units
2018 +55.88 Units
2019 +27.743 Units
2020 + 37.015 Units
2021 + 68.846 Units
2022 +67.485 UnitsTotal Winnings: +311.229 Units
Total Outright Wins Since 2017: 36
H2H Totals Inside Thread… https://t.co/pNQrSK1rFE
— Spencer Aguiar (@TeeOffSports) December 12, 2022
Aaron Rai
- Event Scoring Average: 68.88 (Five career starts)
- Notable Course History: T35 ('21) Win ('20)
- DraftKings Price: $7,800 FanDuel Price: $
Yet another Englishman that's played well in the Scottish Open, Rai triumphed at The Renaissance Club in 2020 for what remains the biggest win of his career.
After making the jump from the Euro circuit to the PGA Tour, Rai has steadily shown that he has the game needed to hang with the world's best players, as he's continually grown more comfortable with American golf. In his last five U.S. starts he's managed four top-25 finishes, highlighted by a T3 at the RBC Canadian Open.
While his links experience will be more of what's needed this week, Rai's white-hot iron play should have no trouble traveling. He's gained an average of four strokes on Approach over his last five starts and grades out fifth in this elite field in SG: APP (L24). Rai also has the extra motivation of not yet being qualified for next week's Open Championship.
Aaron Rai wins the Scottish Open 🏴🏆
A final round 64 and a playoff victory for his second @EuropeanTour title. pic.twitter.com/P4lEmUfDaL
— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) October 4, 2020
Lucas Herbert
- Event Scoring Average: 68.64 (Four career starts)
- Notable Course History: T4 ('21), T4 ('20)
- DraftKings Price: $7,700 FanDuel Price: $
We'll close out this decidedly internationally-flavored edition of HFTC with Australian Lucas Herbert, a man that plays his best in windy conditions and has recorded a pair of T4s across his last three trips to The Renaissance Club.
After a surprise win at the 2021 Bermuda Championship (in blustery weather), Herbert has floundered as a member of the PGA Tour, logging just one top-10 finish on American soil since his victory in Bermuda.
However, Herbert is a different player when he gets outside the United States. He popped for a T15 in last year's Open at St. Andrews and won the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan less than three months ago. He's certainly not gonna pop in any statistical models, but the Aussie is worth keeping our eyes on this week, especially if bad weather is in the forecast.
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