Steve Palmer's Scottish Open Golf Tips

Steve Palmer Updated: 13 Jul 23 10:58 Published: 12 Jul 23 11:39

Most of the world's best players are teeing up in the Scottish Open this week – their final warm-up event before the Open Championship – and Racing Post golf guru Steve Palmer is on hand with his verdict.

Steve Palmer's Scottish Open Tips

Min Woo Lee To Win Outright @ 33/1
Lucas Herbert To Win Outright @ 55/1
Nicolai Hojgaard To Win Outright @ 100/1
Grant Forrest top-20 finish @ 7/1
Rickie Fowler Top American @ 15/2

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What	Scottish Open
Where	Renaissance Club, East Lothian, Scotland
When	07:15, Thursday 13th July, 2023
How to watch	bet365 Live Golf Tracker & Sky Sports Golf
Odds	Scottie Scheffler 7/1, Rory McIlroy 9/1, Xander Schauffele 14/1, Patrick Cantlay 14/1, Rickie Fowler 16/1, Viktor Hovland 18/1, Tyrrell Hatton 18/1

The final Major of the season takes place next week – the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool – and the golfing elite are making sure they are primed for that event.

Many superstars have opted to play in the Scottish Open to get some links competition ahead of the Open.

Jon Rahm is the only top-class absentee from the Scottish Open line-up. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele headline a magnificent field at the Renaissance Club on the east coast of Scotland.

Scheffler, the world number one, can be backed at 7/1 for Scottish Open glory.

He missed the cut at the Renaissance last year, but nobody is expecting the same result this time.

Scheffler has been in supreme ball-striking form, winning twice on the PGA Tour and finishing in the top 12 in every tournament he has entered.

Rory McIlroy, who won the last Open at Royal Liverpool, will be sensing a golden opportunity to get back to Major-winning ways next week.

The Northern Irishman is not a fan of the Renaissance Club, so offers of 9/1 about him winning this week can be easily resisted.

There is plenty of breeze in the forecast this week. Tyrrell Hatton, a two-time winner of the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, looks a lively runner at 18/1, while his fellow Englishman, Tommy Fleetwood, will surely have backers at 20/1.

Fleetwood has hit top form in recent weeks and is a master at controlling his ball on windy links.

Each-way terms of a quarter the odds, the first five places are available for the Scottish Open, as well as alternative options, like a fifth the odds, the first eight places, in the Each Way Extra section.

Scottish Open course details

The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland, is a 7,237-yard, par-70, with three par-fives.

Bernd Wiesberger and Cameron Tringale are the course-record holders, having both carded a round of 61.

The venue opened in 2008 and made its Scottish Open debut in 2019, hosting every year since. Heavily contoured greens are the main defence of the course

Min Woo Lee can regain Scottish title

Rising star Min Woo Lee won the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in 2021 and could be set to repeat the trick on Sunday.

The Australian, a master at controlling his ball in a breeze, is in great form and looks a bargain at 33/1.

Herbert relishing return to Renaissance

The Aussies could play a major role. Lucas Herbert has twice finished fourth in this event at the Renaissance Club and he can get his name on the leaderboard again.

Herbert, who won on the DP World Tour in Japan in April, finished 15th in the Travelers Championship last time out.

Nicolai Hojgaard looks lively outsider

Punters looking for bigger prices should consider Nicolai Hojgaard, who can be backed each-way at 100/1. The Danish dude has produced some spectacular golf this year and appears to be maturing into an elite player.

Local lad Forrest to get on leaderboard

Grant Forrest knows the Renaissance like the back of his hand and finished second in an Open qualifier there in 2017.

On the back of a solid 2023 campaign, the Scot should give a strong account of himself on home turf and 7/1 about a top-20 finish seems generous.

Resurgent Fowler the pick of Americans

Rickie Fowler won the Rocket Mortgage Classic last time out, underlining his return to form, and the resurgent Californian could prove the best of the American raiders in Scotland.

Fowler, a 15/2 chance, loves links golf and he won the Scottish Open in 2015.