Before we head to Royal Troon for the Open Championship next week, the Renaissance Club (par 70, 7,237 yards, fescue greens) in North Berwick, Scotland is hosting the Genesis Scottish Open this week. This is the sixth straight year that this course has hosted this event, and this is the third year in a row that the Genesis Scottish Open has been co-sanctioned between the PGA TOUR and DP World TOUR, meaning this field of 156 golfers will be evenly split with 75 players from each circuit competing. Rory McIlroy is the defending champion of this tournament, winning at -15 last season, which was one shot clear of Robert MacIntyre. After the first two rounds this week, there will be a standard top-65 and ties cut.
The Renaissance Club was established in 2008 and is a unique links course that features narrow fairways, thick rough, massive greens, 83 bunkers and zero water hazards. Despite the thick rough that borders the fairways at this track, elite drivers have had an advantage at the Renaissance Club. McIlroy led his field in SG OTT last season and four of the five winners at this venue have finished the event top-20 in driving distance. Now, that doesn’t mean we should only be rostering bombers this week, but if juggling between two golfers, siding with the longer player is a wise choice.
In addition to the usual heavy emphasis on iron play, we also need to be targeting golfers who are crafty, short-game players at the Renaissance Club. Missing and rolling off the complex putting surfaces at this venue is inevitable, especially if the wind picks up, and three of the five players to win the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club have finished the tournament top-15 in SG ARG.
Lastly, the Renaissance Club is a rare par 70 that is home to 10 par fours, five par threes and three par fives. Being efficient on the par fours is the most crucial at this course, and with five of the 10 par fours here falling between 450-500 yards, seeking out players who are strong on this length of par four is a sharp strategy.
Below, I have featured four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the Genesis Scottish Open, that all are priced under $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K DRIVE THE GREEN [$50K TO 1ST]
Adam Scott ($7,300) – Don’t let Scott missing the cut at last year’s Genesis Scottish Open fool you, as the Aussie is one of the best values on the board. Scott only missed the cut by one stroke in his debut at the Renaissance Club last year and is in the midst of a strong season, making 12-of-14 cuts, with six top-25 finishes. Furthermore, while at different venues than the Renaissance Club, Scott has been successful at the Scottish Open throughout his career, with five top-25 finishes in nine starts. The 43-year-old knows how to handle the volatile conditions of competing in Scotland and his salary for this week is a $400 decrease from his last start, despite his final round of that outing being a 6-under 64 at the Travelers Championship, which marked Scott’s lowest score of the season.
Thomas Detry ($7,200) – Detry has advanced to the weekend at all five of the Genesis Scottish Opens played at the Renaissance Club, including a runner-up in 2021 and a T10 in 2022. The Belgian professional owns a strong 25.4 average finish at the track and returns to the Renaissance Club in compelling form, riding a five-made cut steak. During this stretch, Detry has impressed at two different major championships, with a T4 at the PGA Championship in May and then a T14 at the U.S. Open last month. Ranking sixth in SGP this season, the 31-year-old has been a magician with his flat stick—since the beginning of the season, Detry has notably moved himself up 44 spots in the world golf rankings. The veteran is an elite combination of strong course history and current form that needs to be attacked at this low salary.
Tom Hoge ($7,100) – Hoge finished T19th at the Renaissance Club last season and needs to be rostered at this cheap price tag. The veteran has become one of the best iron players in the world, ranking second on the PGA TOUR in SG: Approach this season, only trailing Scottie Scheffler. Unsurprisingly, Hoge’s elite ball striking has translated into a ton of success for the 36-year-old. In 20 start this season, Hoge has made 17 cuts and produced 10 top-25 finishes, including a T3 at the Travelers Championship in his last start. During that finish at TPC River Highlands, the veteran led the stacked field in SG: Approach and finished second in birdies. In this type of form, Hoge has top-10 upside this weekend.
Erik Van Rooyen ($7,000) – Van Rooyen is coming off a T6 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which marked his 13th made cut and eighth top-25 finish in 17 starts this season. The South African ranks inside the top-15 in both SGP and SG OTT when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds, and he has thrived at the Renaissance Club in the past. Van Rooyen has made 3-of-4 cuts at this venue, including a T14 in 2019 and a T6 in 2020. The 34-year-old has a much higher ceiling that his low salary suggests and is a terrific bargain this week.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K DRIVE THE GREEN [$50K TO 1ST]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
