The Renaissance Club (par 70, 7,282 yards, fescue greens) in North Berwick, Scotland, will host the Genesis Scottish Open for the eighth year in a row. This event will be co-sanctioned between the PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour for the fifth straight year. There will be 156 golfers competing and a top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds. Chris Gotterup (-15) is the defending champion of the Genesis Scottish Open after winning this event by two shots a year ago.
Below, I have featured my two favorite bets for the Genesis Scottish Open on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Viktor Hovland for a top-10 finish including ties (+305)
After some questionable play by his standards, Hovland has regained his form. In his last three starts, Hovland has finished third at the RBC Canadian Open, missed the cut at the U.S. Open and he won the Travelers Championship, in which he defeated Scottie Scheffler in a playoff.
While he missed the cut at the U.S. Open, Hovland only did so by one shot. The 28-year-old shot a 7-over 76 in the first round, but then fought back with a 1-under 69 in the second round at the grueling Shinnecock Hills. Hovland still gained an awesome 1.23 strokes on approach at the major and that 76 is his only poor round in his last three starts. Hovland has shot under par in nine of his last 10 rounds, most notably with a career-low 9-under 61 at TPC River Highlands during his win at the Travelers two weeks ago.
Hovland’s ball striking has been elite, gaining strokes on approach at five straight events and ranking 17th in SG APP for the season. The eight-time PGA TOUR winner also leads the PGA TOUR in proximity to the hole on 175-200-yard approach shots, setting him up perfectly for the Renaissance Club, as 25.4% of the approach shots at this venue over the last five years have come from this far out.
At the Renaissance Club, Hovland has made 3-of-4 cuts and finished inside the top-25 twice with his best result being a T11 last season. Hovland has shot under par in 9-of-14 rounds at the Renaissance Club, most notably with a 7-under 63 in 2023. Hovland’s game suits this track and riding high after his win at the Travelers, he should have a career-best showing at the Renaissance Club.
Tom Kim for a top-20 finish including ties (+230)
Kim has been outstanding at the Renaissance Club. The 24-year-old has finished third, T6th, T15th and T17th in his four starts at the par 70. Kim has shot under par in 12 of these 16 rounds and he ranks third in this field in strokes gained per round at the Renaissance Club.
Kim also finished runner-up at the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and T8th at the 2024 Summer Olympics played at Le Golf National in France. As you can see, Kim loves competing overseas and when we compare this field’s results in Europe, he ranks sixth in strokes gained per round.
Kim now travels back to his beloved Renaissance Club riding a six-made cut streak with three top-15 finishes during this span. Just three weeks ago, Kim was in the mix to win the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, finishing solo third at the major.
Also, Kim finished T46th at the John Deere Classic this past week and while not the highest finish, he ranked eighth in SG APP for the event, which has been the norm this season. Kim ranks 11th in SG APP and he ranks 14th in proximity to the hole on 175-200-yard approach shots. Kim should once again thrive at the Renaissance Club and he is a stellar bet for a top-20 finish at these +230 odds.
