One of the European Tour’s most prestigious events, Scotland’s national open, attracts many of the world’s biggest stars each year and this year is no different. The 2016 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open is spoiled once again with a stellar betting field. The field consists of seven Major Champions, two former World Number Ones, seven European Tour Number Ones, eight WGC winners, 97 European Tour winners, 24 Ryder Cup players and ten former Scottish Open champions. Quality field!
American Ryder Cup players JB Holmes +4550, Phil Mickelson +1750, Patrick Reed +2699 and Steve Stricker +6500 have joined the star-studded field which returns to Castle Stuart Golf Links.
Henrik Stenson +850 is the highest ranked player this week at No. 5. The Swede is returning to this event for the first time since finishing in a share of third place the last time Castle Stuart played hosts in 2013. Another Swede to keep your eye on is David Lingmerth +3115 who is having a huge year.
South Africa’s Branden Grace +1200, meanwhile, is making his first regular European Tour appearance since becoming the first player to successfully defend the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters back in January. Grace is all the way up to Number Ten in the world and climbing.
Irishman Shane Lowry +1875 makes his first European Tour appearance since sharing runner-up spot at the U.S. Open.
Russell Knox +3325 leads the Scots and will the home favorite in the field when the 31 year old returns to his home town of Inverness in search of his second European Tour title.
Castle Stuart Golf Links will host the Scottish Open for the fourth time in the last six years. Phil Mickelson won in 2013, the last time the layout was in play and the track is forgiving off the tee, putting a premium on the approach shots and short game. “The course does not pose much of a challenge off the tee, but it’s tricky around the greens and gives you a test,” said Graeme McDowell. If the wind doesn’t blow, the winning score will be close to 20-under par. In the past three editions at Castle Stuart Golf Links, the winning scores were 17, 17 and 19 under par.
Current Scottish Open Odds at BookMaker Sportsbook:
Henrik Stenson +850
Phil Mickelson +1750
Branden Grace +1200
Rafa Cabrera-Bello +2399
Martin Kaymer +1800
Shane Lowry +1875
Andy Sullivan +2625
Patrick Reed +2699
Chris Wood +3115
David Lingmerth +3115
Joost Luiten +4000
Russell Knox +3325
Thongchai Jaidee +4050
Matthew Fitzpatrick +4050
Nicolas Colsaerts +4500
Soren Kjeldsen +5000
Steve Stricker +6500
J.B. Holmes +4550
Luke Donald +5000
Thomas Pieters +4500
Tyrrell Hatton +6050
Ross Fisher +7500
Graeme McDowell +7500
Alex Noren +4050
Andrew Johnston +12500
Danny Lee +7000
Jamie Donaldson +10050
Kiradech Aphibarnrat +5000
Thorbjorn Olesen +6000
Gregory Bourdy +7000
Jamie Lovemark +10050
Jeung-Hun Wang +7000
Richard Sterne +10050
Fabrizio Zanotti +18000
Bradley Dredge +13050
George Coetzee +10000
James Morrison +8500
Marc Warren +10050
Raphael Jacquelin +8000
Romain Wattel +8500
Scott Hend +16050
Victor Dubuisson +8050
Padraig Harrington +8500
Johan Carlsson +20050
Julien Quesne +19000
Mikko Ilonen +13050
Pablo Larrazabal +15050
Alexander Levy +9500
Ashun Wu +20050
Eddie Pepperell +14050
Marcel Siem +20050
FIELD - Any Other Player +300
ODDS ANALYSIS
PLAYERS to RIDE
Branden Grace +1200 is quietly one of the best players in the world. The South African has climbed to No. 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings and is on the rise. He tied for fifth at the U.S. Open and followed it up with a T10 last week at the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational where he was in the top five in GIR. He’s finished in the top ten in his last five worldwide starts, lost in a playoff to Mickelson the last time the European Tour visited Castle Stuart in 2013 and is due to win. Green light in all formats!
Andy Sullivan +2625 is trending in the right direction. The Englishman got off to a horrible start but has turned things around with three straight top 25’s, including a T5 last week in France where he was T1 in putting. Sullivan is on a mission to make the Ryder Cup team and his recent play is encouraging to both him and Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.
PLAYERS to HIDE
I like to fade the previous week’s winner and this week I am fading Thongchai Jaidee +4050. The little man from Thailand posted an impressive win at the Open de France where he won by four shots to pick up his eighth European Tour victory. Unless you are a superstar, it is very difficult to perform at that level in back-to-back weeks which have me staying away from Jaidee this week in Scotland.
Graeme McDowell +7500 is unpredictable on a weekly basis and can not be trusted this week. He shot an opening round 80 last week in France at a place where he’s won twice before, eventually missing the cut. He needs to play well to make the Ryder Cup team but his days of being an elite player are over and he will again struggle this week at the Scottish Open.
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The Scottish Open is scheduled for July 7-10, 2016. Inverness will host the event and the Golf Channel will televise the event live.
