Scottish Open tips: Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Kim in good shape to land signature Tour victory

Genesis Scottish Open key stats:

• When: July 11 - 14 2024
• Where: The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland
• How long: 7,237 yards - par 70
• What to expect: Links style course, exposed layout with thick rough and gorse, and deep bunkers
• Who won last year: Rory McIlroy (-15) 

Last year’s winner Rory McIlroy has just about edged the favourite tag at 15/2, while 2022 champion Xander Schauffele is only half a point further back on 8/1. 

Rory’s extended break since his failure at last month’s U.S. Open could serve him well here, plus this course suits him better than his American rival, as it should play easy, which favours the man from Northern Ireland.

There’s then quite a jump in the betting market, where we find Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg on the 14/1 mark. The American won the 2021 Open Championship in Covid times, but the wind did not blow that week, but could well be a significant factor here this week, and he might be better suited by Royal Troon next week. 

It is still unclear as to how Swedish sensation Aberg will play this type of course, but so far he has shown enough to suggest he has the skill set and the temperament to adapt his game to any course and conditions.

Slightly further adrift at 18/1, Tommy Fleetwood has finished 4th, 6th, 26th and 2nd in the last four editions of this tournament, plus he brings some solid form to the North Berwick course in his bid to land his first Scottish Open.

His 2024 campaign hit the ground running when landing the Dubai Invitational in January, and although winless since, he has missed just one cut, and has been in the top 25 in his last six outings without making the top ten. 

If Tommy Lad can just string four rounds of his best game together, then his first signature Tour win should not be far away. 

Suggested bet (1): Tommy Fleetwood each-way in the Scottish Open

Viktor Hovland returns to action on a course that should suit him, but whether he will bring his best form to Scotland over the next two weeks is open to question after a topsy-turvy 2024 campaign so far.

The Norwegian is certainly hard to back at 18/1, but at a juicier 22/1 Tom Kim is sure to be a popular bet after finishing third and sixth in this tournament over the past two years. 

The likeable South Korean tied for fourth at the Canadian Open six weeks ago, and although he missed the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last time out, that could have been a hangover from his play-off defeat to Scottie Scheffler (who skips this tournament) at the Travelers the previous week

This type of set-up suits Kim better than the big-blaster courses on the PGA Tour, and he is certainly playing well enough to go well again in Scotland.

Suggested bet (2): Tom Kim each-way in the Scottish Open

Others to watch:

• Min Woo Lee (25/1) - Surprise winner here in 2021, arrives off six straight top-25 finishes including runner-up last time at the Rocket Mortgage Classic - could the Aussie be peaking at the right time?
• Robert Macintyre (35/1) - Three out of four top-20 finishes here, including runner-up in 2023, Bobby Mac now also has PGA Tour success on his CV (Canadian Open), and he will be looking to go one better than last year, when he was only beaten by Rory McIlroy’s birdie blitz.
• Mattieu Pavon (75/1) - A winner in his debut season on the USPGA Tour, the Frenchman has had a stellar impact since crossing the Pond - should go well on this course and looks very tasty at these odds.

Suggested bet (3): Matthieu Pavon each-way in the Scottish Open

Suggested bet summary:

• Tommy Fleetwood (18/1) - 3 points each-way
• Tom Kim (22/1) - 2 points each-way
• Matthieu Pavon (75/1) - 1 point each-way

All listed prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are correct at time of article publication, but could be subject to change