As we head into the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open, Rory McIlroy and Chris Gotterup share the lead at 11-under par. Just behind them, the leaderboard is packed—with three players tied at 9-under and another eight sitting at 7-under. With so many in striking distance, we’re set up for an exciting and wide-open finish on Sunday.
Below I detail my two favorite bets for Sunday’s final round.
Rory McIlroy to win +125
I don’t usually like backing the favorite—it often feels like a cop-out—but in this case, McIlroy makes a compelling exception. He has a proven track record at this course, and among the contenders at the top, he’s the one you trust most to close on a Sunday.
Yes, some will scoff at that given his recent near-misses in majors (pre Masters), but let’s be clear: McIlroy dominates regular PGA TOUR events, especially when he’s in contention heading into the final round.
Two years ago, he broke Robert MacIntyre’s heart on the 72nd hole to win this event, and last year he finished T4. He’s clearly comfortable at the Renaissance Club. This week, everything seems to be clicking—especially the flat stick, where he ranks fifth in the field in SG: Putting. On Saturday, he posted his best approach round of the tournament, gaining 2.7 strokes with his irons, also good for fifth.
The reigning Masters champion carded a four-under on Saturday to put himself in prime position, and it’s hard to imagine him letting this one slip away. With the Open Championship looming next week in his home country, you know he’s motivated to head in with momentum.
Even at +125, McIlroy looks like a strong bet to get it done.
Harris English to finish Top 5 +300
English has been dialed in with his irons this week, ranking fifth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. He’s also gaining strokes both off the tee and around the green, putting himself in prime position for a top-five finish. At seven-under par and just two shots back of T3 heading into Sunday, he’s well within striking distance.
English fired a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, a clear sign that his game is rounding into form. After a tough start with the putter—losing 3.5 strokes on the greens Thursday—he’s bounced back nicely, gaining 2.6 strokes Friday and another 0.2 on Saturday. With every part of his game trending upward, English looks poised to make a serious move up the leaderboard in the final round.
Sign me up at +300.
