It’s one of the highlights of the golf season as the Scottish Open explodes onto the scene this week. Play gets underway at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick on Thursday and a champion will be crowned at the conclusion on Sunday. Who will that be? It’s still anyone’s guess as we have the usual star-studded field in attendance and a strong case could be made for more than a dozen of the front runners in the betting. Here are our top Scottish Open betting tips.
Those who take themselves along to the Direlton venue are guaranteed a stunning few days of golf from the country credited with inventing the sport and we have even been promised a bit of sunshine which, for Scotland, is a luxury, in or out of summertime. On paper we have all the ingredients for a fascinating renewal.
Watch Live & Bet Live
Armchair fans can watch the play live on Sky Sports with the show starting at 10.30am on Thursday. You’ll get a swing-by-swing account throughout the day with expert commentary and analysis offered. Those at work unable to keep track are sure to show an interest in the highlights screened later that evening and if this one lives up to expectations there will be no shortage of talking points on reflection. We are excited about this one and it also signals the start of a hectic period for British golf supporters.
Bookmakers have laid on a feast of betting opportunities, each designed to hold your interest and increase your enjoyment of the tournament. Have your say on the outright winner or play one of the many specials markets made available. These include first round leader, top American, top European, top British player. There’s also top five finish, top 10 finish and even a market to make the cut. Create an accumulator from the three-ball betting and aim for a big pay out off small stakes.
Our team of golf tipsters and sports betting experts have run over the form and figures before reporting back with our views on where the smart money goes. We’ve also done our homework on the odds and flag up which firms are offering best price on the most popular selections. This is important for those serious about making a profit from golf betting over the course of a year. A 10/1 winner is nice but not quite as nice as landing 20/1 on the same pick simply by shopping around.
Stone Won the Title Last Year
Looking through past winners of the Scottish Open in an attempt to flag up a trend or pattern worth sticking with and we notice Brandon Stone rates as defending champion, having carded a winning score of 20 under par 12 months ago. That was a seriously impressive effort and the same scorecard would’ve seen him bank the prize money in most of the recent renewals.
Stone won the crown worn by Rafa Cabrera-Bello with 13 under the year before that, achieved after a play-off. Other recent winners include Alex Noren -14, Rickie Fowler -12 and Justin Rose -16. Who do bookmakers expect to reign supreme this weekend? The money men have had their say and they price Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy to the head of their betting with the 6/1 available at Bet365 ranking as the general feeling in the industry at present.
He’s a firm favourite too and that’s proven by the fact next in line is Rickie Fowler who has a 14/1 price tag attached. The top three is completed by Matt Kuchar at 18/1 (Bet365) before Justin Thomas 18/1 (Bet365), Henrik Stenson 20/1 (William Hill) and Matt Wallace 28/1 (Ladbrokes). Those eager to take on the favourite with a bigger price may be interested in the 1/5 the odds a place 1-2-3-4-5-6 offered by William Hill.
Stick with the Favourite
As regular readers of our golf previews will confess, we are not in the habit of agreeing with bookmakers and following the market, but we find it difficult to go against them here as they appear to have this one spot on in sticking with Rory McIlroy. The jolly arrives in Scotland with a style that should suit the challenges presented by this course perfectly and we have witnessed in the past he simply loves playing in Scotland. He has nothing to prove here but will be well received by the fans and we expect him to go out and put on a show.
He missed the Irish Open last week and that must’ve been a difficult decision for a man who has been consistent in that tournament over the course of the last decade. The reason for side-stepping that one was to concentrate on this event as it’s a more valuable leg of the tour and will do a better job in improving his rankings. This is also the perfect course to prepare for next week’s Open Championship where he’ll be desperate to shine again. Only time will tell us if Rors made the right move in sitting out of Ireland.
McIlroy comes to Scotland in decent form and he is a man playing with confidence which, of course, makes all the difference. There’s nothing here that’s going to catch him off-guard and that will ensure he is able to hit the ground running and make a fast start. He’s 6/1 at Bet365 to win the tournament and although that is a little tight for our liking, we’re going to run with it. It’s also worth noting that Ladbrokes offer 14/1 on him being first round leader.
Our Tip : Rory McIlroy win Scottish Open at 6/1 with Bet365