The Scottish Open returns to Gullane Golf Club on Thursday (par 70, 7,133 yards) in what promises to be a competitive four days of golf. The Open Championship is tantalizingly close and it’s no surprise to see a sizeable American contingent in East Lothian with the likes of Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson bidding to fine tune their game ahead of next week’s showpiece spectacle. Meanwhile, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Hideki Matsuyama, last week’s winner Russell Knox, and defending champion Rafa Cabrera Bello will all be gunning for glory.
Below we pluck out a trio of pairings that will be worth keeping an eye on in an area where golf has been played for over 350 years.
Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama - 9am
Two former Scottish Open champions, in 2015 winner Rickie Fowler and 2014 victor Justin Rose, have been pitted side-by-side in arguably the feature group of the opening round, which also contains Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama.
Fowler, the joint 9/1 favourite with Rose, was victorious the last time the Scottish Open was held at Gullane three years ago following a delightful birdie on the final hole, while he has top-10 finishes in his other two appearances at the Scottish Open. The American is a superb links player, although it's worth remembering that his last tour win of any sort dates back to February 2017.
Four years ago Rose won the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. The Englishman is in cracking form with a whopping 16 top-10s in his last 21 tournaments, winning the Fort Worth Invitational in late May, and it would be no surprise to see him in contention on Sunday.
Rose and Fowler will also be joined by Matsuyama who can be backed at 20/1 to record his first win of the year.
Ian Poulter, Russell Knox, Patrick Reed - 1.40pm
If you’re after drama, passion and suspense then this is the group to watch: Ian Poulter, Russell Knox and Patrick Reed. All three players have wins under their belts in 2018, with Reed joining the major party after he donned the Green Jacked in April, while Poulter bagged his first US strokeplay title the week before Reed’s triumph, whereas Knox is fresh off success at the Irish Open.
Knox edged out Ryan Fox last week to record his first ever European Tour win, meaning he’s eighth in Europe’s Ryder Cup standings. The Scot will now be eyeing up a win in his homeland as he attempts to become the first home winner this century. The 33-year-old can be backed at 22/1 to double up at the Scottish Open and in the process become the first back-to-back winner of Rolex Series events.
Poulter finished six shots off the pace (T9) at the 2017 edition of the tournament after previously leading the way at the top of the board. The Englishman is hovering around the 25/1 mark to grab the spoils on the European Tour for the first time in six years.
Louis Oosthuizen, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Tyrrell Hatton - 1.30pm
Three players who will hold hopes of going all the way at the Gullane Golf Club take to the tee at 1.30pm on Thursday.
Rafa Cabrera Bello is of course the defending Scottish Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen is fantastic links player and former Open champion who has five top-16 finishes in his last seven tournaments, while Tyrrell Hatton has enjoyed some cracking performances on the tour in the last 10 months.
Cabrera Bello birdied the first hole of a playoff to defeat Callum Shinkwin at Dundonald Links last year, and the Spaniard is now aiming to defend his title (30/1). No player has ever achieved this feat in the tournament, while Ernie Els and Ian Woosnam are the only multiple winners.
“I've never defended a title," said Cabrera Bello.
"It's going to be a different feeling because I'm not on the same course that I was last year, so I cannot draw off those memories particularly on the course, but I will draw off the atmosphere and on the crowd."
(Quote: East Lothian Courier)
