The COVID pandemic forced the European Tour to make a number of adjustments to the season schedule. We see another of those changes this week when the field heads back to Scotland for the inaugural Scottish Championship. A late addition to the rotation, the tournament plays on a typical links-style course at the Fairmont St. Andrews. While there is no course history since it’s the first playing, looking at golfers with past links experience should help in making some coin this week. Former world No. 1 Lee Westwood opened as the betting favorite and will be challenged by Scottish Open winner Aaron Rai. Sandwiched between those two on the odds board is Matt Wallace. BookMaker.eu has a complete list of betting odds for the Scottish Championship when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win the Scottish Championship
Lee Westwood +900
Matt Wallace +1000
Aaron Rai +1200
Eddie Pepperell +1600
Robert MacIntyre +1600
Renato Paratore +2000
Sam Horsfield +2500
Matthew Jordan +2500
Gavin Green +2800
Connor Syme +3300
Justin Harding +3300
Paul Waring +3300
Matthew Southgate +3300
Masahiro Kawamura +3300
Dean Burmester +3300
Sean Crocker +3300
Padraig Harrington +3300
Brandon Stone +4000
Richie Ramsay +4000
Scott Jamieson +4000
Wil Besseling +4000
Adrian Otaegui +4000
Kiradech Aphibarnrat +4000
Grant Forrest +5000
Clement Sordet +5500
Marc Warren +6600
Calum Hill +6600
Jack Senior +6600
Shubhankar Sharma +6600
MinWoo Lee +6600
Adrian Meronk +6600
Chris Paisley +6600
Ben Stow +6600
Scott Hend +6600
Marcus Armitage +8000
Wade Ormsby +8000
Callum Shinkwin +8000
Jamie Donaldson +8000
Oscar Lengden +8000
Odds Analysis
Eddie Pepperell +1600
If you’re looking for links form Pepperell stands out. He’s never won on a links course but it seems like just a matter of time. We could go all the way back to 2015 with his runner-up at the Irish Open. He also placed fourth in that event last year, and that’s just the beginning. He has a number of top-10s on his resume, including a T6 at the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie. That’s all good, but what makes Pepperell more inviting is recent form that includes a T9 at the Scottish Open and a solo sixth last week at Wentworth.
Matthew Southgate +3300
If Southgate is going to win a tournament it’s likely happening in Scotland. How can we forget his runner-up at last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship when he finished one-shot off the pace in a thrilling final round at Carnoustie. Two starts ago he closed with a 67 to claim a share of ninth at the Scottish Open. As an amateur he had a five-shot win at the Old Course and carries fond memories of the land. He struggled with the putter last week, which was the exception and not the norm. His confidence level should be high with a return to a country he always plays well in.
Marc Warren +6600
If he’s over the meltdown that cost him a chance at winning the Scottish Open a few weeks ago, Warren offers plenty of value at his current price. Needing a birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff, he instead carded a bogey to finish T4. That disappointment carried over to Wentworth where he missed the cut. However, Warren is another superb links player and a change to his mental approach has provided more happiness and better results. I’ll back him at favorable odds.
Connor Syme +3300
Another of the fine Scots in the field, Syme is looking at this as an opportunity to regain the form that propelled him into the U.S. Open last month. He finished off the UK Swing with three consecutive top-10s, including a T3 at the Celtic Classic, to qualify for the last major. While he missed the cut at Winged Foot, Syme said it was a valuable learning experience. He faltered over the final 36 holes at the Scottish Open settling for a T48, but he hits the ball long and straight for the most part. Keeping the ball under the wind is one way to conquer a links course.
Shubhankar Sharma +6600
Sometimes you have to go off script to hit it big. A first-time tournament like this on a new course gives us all kinds of opportunities. It does the same for the field. Looking at links form can point you in a direction. But there are times to look at other variables. Nothing says Sharma is going to win. He’s been inconsistent, but he is a two-time winner on Tour and the field is to his liking. He’s accurate off the tee and with some help from his putter he’s in a good spot to challenge.
Course: Fairmont St. Andrews – 7,230 yards, Par 72
It is St. Andrews, but it’s not the St. Andrews. Just four miles separate the Old Course and Fairmont, with a big difference in age and layout. Built in 2001, the Torrance Course at Fairmont St. Andrews stretches to 7,230 yards at par 72 and is a classic Scottish links design playing host to a major Tour event for the first time. It hosted the Scottish Senior Open from 2009-2014 with winning 54-hole scores ranging from -4 to -17, exhibiting the variation for a wind-exposed layout. Overlooking St. Andrews Bay offers breathtaking views, and the course design offers all the principles of links golf with risk/reward opportunities on most holes.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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