The PGA Tour crosses the Atlantic this week for the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, from July 9-12, 2026. $9 million in prize money is at stake, and the field is stacked with world-class talent. The tournament is jointly-sanctioned with the PGA Tour and is a Rolex Series event, and the timing matters. It is widely recognized as the ideal proving ground ahead of The Open Championship, which tees off next week at Royal Birkdale.
Defending champion Chris Gotterup captured the 2026 John Deere Classic just days before making the trip to Scotland, and now arrives with the opportunity to become the first back-to-back Genesis Scottish Open champion since the event became co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour in 2022. World number one Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and a deep roster of major champions headline the field as they sharpen their links-game setups before the year's final major.
Links golf at the Renaissance Club
The Renaissance Club, located on Scotland's eastern coast, embodies the distinctive characteristics of a links course, featuring the region's signature wind conditions and unpredictable weather. The Tom Doak links designed course provides a fair test for all golfing abilities, but its modern design departs from some traditional links features. This is not a traditional old school links setup; undulating fairways and elevated greens mean that ground play is not always possible. Therefore your only other option is to flight the ball in, and take on the brutal winds of the Scottish coast.
The course rewards players who can manage distance effectively while navigating fairway bunkers. In true Scottish links style, elements dictate how difficult the course plays. All things equal, we should expect in-form ball-strikers with plus distance, links experience, and crafty short games rise to the top. When conditions are calm, scoring can be aggressive. When the wind picks up, trajectory control and scrambling become paramount.
Players to watch
Scottie Scheffler enters as the world number one and prepares for his defence of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The 30-year-old aims to add Scotland's national open to his glittering resume. Scheffler has continued his imperious form this season, securing his 20th PGA Tour title at The American Express in January and adding a bucketload of top five finishes, including runner up at Augusta National. His ball-striking consistency and links experience make him a logical favorite.
Rory McIlroy brings strong course history to North Berwick. McIlroy triumphed in 2023, and he won this event at The Renaissance Club in 2023, has the driving profile to attack the generous landing areas, and is comfortable playing creative golf in wind. His ability to flight long irons through crosswinds gives him an edge over most of the field in difficult conditions.
Chris Gotterup arrives with momentum as defending champion after he held off Rory McIlroy to claim his first title on European soil in 2025. His 2025 win at The Renaissance Club made sense because the course rewards his best weapon: aggressive driving distance. When he is finding playable landing zones, he can turn the longer holes into scoring chances quickly. His recent John Deere Classic victory provides added confidence.
Tommy Fleetwood offers steady upside. Reigning FedExCup champion Fleetwood returns for his 12th Genesis Scottish Open appearance, having recorded three top ten finishes. He recorded his sixth top ten of the 2026 season last month at the Memorial Tournament. His links proficiency and comfort level at this venue make him a reliable choice for pools that reward consistency.
Pool picks strategy
This week's co-sanctioned format creates roster-building complexity. With half the field allocated to DP World Tour players, course history becomes more valuable than recent PGA Tour form alone. Prioritize players with documented success on links courses, particularly those who've thrived at Renaissance Club. Ball-strikers who can control trajectory in wind and navigate fairway bunkers will separate from the field if conditions turn difficult. Stuck between players? Our player comparison tool uses real PGA Tour strokes-gained data and weights each category by what this course rewards, then names the pick with a probability score.
Make your picks
The Genesis Scottish Open delivers the strongest field of the summer outside the majors, with major champions, FedEx Cup contenders, and European stars converging for one of the calendar's most compelling co-sanctioned events. Set up your pool now or view details for the event to see full field data and historical trends. The tournament tees off Thursday morning from East Lothian, where the wind, the coastal terrain, and the field quality combine to create one of the year's best tests before the season's final major.