A significant title received’t be up for grabs — that can come per week later on the British Open — however the Genesis Scottish Open, which begins on Thursday on the Renaissance Membership in North Berwick, ought to generate a whole lot of consideration given the caliber of contenders taking part in.
Eight of the highest 10 gamers on the earth rankings, together with No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 3 Rory McIlroy, and No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, can be within the area. Trying to defend his crown can be No. 6 Xander Schauffele, who received by a stroke in 2022.
Listed here are 5 others to keep watch over.
Tommy Fleetwood
Overshadowed throughout final month’s final-round battle in the US Open at Los Angeles Nation Membership between the eventual champ, Wyndham Clark, and McIlroy was the seven-under 63 fired on Sunday by England’s Tommy Fleetwood, 32, who turned the first participant to shoot that rating twice on the Open. His different 63 got here in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Membership in Southampton, Lengthy Island.
Nonetheless, Fleetwood, now ranked No. 22, failed on each events to win the trophy, and in additional than 100 begins has but to seize a match on the PGA Tour. He got here very shut the week earlier than the U.S. Open, dropping in a playoff to Nick Taylor of Canada on the RBC Canadian Open. In Might, he tied for fifth on the Wells Fargo Championship.
Fleetwood, a two-time member of Workforce Europe within the Ryder Cup, has had his moments within the Scottish Open, ending second in 2020 and in a tie for fourth final 12 months.
Justin Thomas
Along with his tie for ninth on the Vacationers Championship final month, his first top-10 end since March, it appeared Thomas, one of many recreation’s high gamers, was again on observe.
Or not.
Every week later, he missed the minimize on the Rocket Mortgage Basic in Detroit.
Thomas, who has dropped to No. 20 on the earth, struggled mightily within the second spherical of the U.S. Open. He hit simply 5 fairways on his option to capturing an 11-over 81, lacking the minimize by 12 strokes.
“It’s fairly humiliating and embarrassing capturing scores like that at a golf course I actually, actually favored,” he mentioned.
Thomas, 30, who received the 2022 P.G.A. Championship, has additionally fared poorly on this 12 months’s different majors. He missed the minimize on the Masters and tied for sixty fifth within the P.G.A.
With the British Open per week away, this could be a very good time for him to regain his previous kind.
Rickie Fowler
Talking of previous kind, along with his victory two weeks in the past on the Rocket Mortgage Basic, his first in 4 years, Fowler, 34, is formally again.
It was no shock given how nicely Fowler, one of many tour’s hottest gamers, was performing in latest months. He has completed within the high 15 or higher in 9 of his 11 tournaments since mid-March.
Within the U.S. Open, he began off with a record-setting 62 and was tied for the lead after three rounds. Though he light within the remaining spherical with a 75 to tie for fifth, he performed nicely the subsequent week on the Vacationers Championship, tying for thirteenth. Within the third spherical, Fowler, who’s ranked No. 21 after beginning the 12 months at No. 103, flirted with a 59 earlier than capturing a 60. Every week later got here the triumph in Michigan.
Quite a bit was anticipated of Fowler, a star at Oklahoma State College, when he turned professional in 2009, and he didn’t disappoint. In 2014, he completed within the high 5 of every of the 4 majors. In 2015, he received the Gamers Championship.
Wyndham Clark
It wasn’t too way back when informal golf followers had been most likely saying to themselves: Wyndham who?
The U.S. Open modified that, giving Clark, ranked No. 11 on the earth, sudden fame.
The query is: Was his efficiency a fluke — different less-heralded gamers have claimed main championships solely to fade quickly afterward — or will Clark, 29, be a drive on the tour?
Clark picked up his first victory at this 12 months’s Wells Fargo Basic and has the sport to win extra tournaments, together with majors. He hits it a good distance, and the way he was capable of maintain off McIlroy down the stretch on the Open in Los Angeles was one thing to behold.
“It’s been a whirlwind few weeks and a tremendous season thus far, all coming collectively in L.A. a number of weeks in the past,” Clark mentioned. “I’m trying ahead to holding issues going over the summer season.”
Viktor Hovland
In three of the previous 4 main championships, Hovland, ranked No. 5, has been within the hunt. In the end, he’s sure to interrupt via.
Hovland, who could be the primary man from Norway to win a significant, was the co-leader with McIlroy heading into the ultimate spherical of final 12 months’s British Open. He faltered with a 74 to complete in a tie for fourth.
At this 12 months’s Masters, he opened with a 65 and, although he had his troubles the subsequent two rounds, was nonetheless solely three again going into the ultimate spherical. For the second straight main, nevertheless, he closed with a 74 to complete in a tie for seventh, failing to make a birdie till the thirteenth gap. A month later, he tied for second within the P.G.A. Championship, two behind the winner, Brooks Koepka.
In June, Hovland, 25, captured his fourth tour victory and largest but, the Memorial Match, in a playoff over Denny McCarthy. Hovland knocked in a 30-footer on 17 and saved par from 5 toes on 18 in regulation. Within the playoff, he made a seven-footer for the win.