This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
Genesis Scottish Open
Course: The Renaissance Club (7,237 yards, par 70)
Purse: $9,000,000
Winner: $1,620,000 and 500 FedExCup points
Tournament Preview
Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour for a second straight year, the Genesis Scottish Open provides a stout field of 156 entrants with one final chance to either tune their links-style strategies for the upcoming Open Championship or simply qualify for this summer's final major if not already exempt. It's unlikely to feel anything like summer from Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon, however, as Scotland is slated to endure the cold, wet and windy conditions for which British golf is notorious. Such an environment therefore lends an advantage to the field's bombers on a lengthened 7,237-yard, par-70 layout, but we'll discuss additional context and a handful of value options below.
Recent Champions
2022 - Xander Schauffele (Renaissance Club)
2021 - Min Woo Lee (Renaissance Club)
2020 - Aaron Rai (Renaissance Club)
2019 - Bernd Wiesberger (Renaissance Club)
2018 - Brandon Stone (Gullane)
2017 - Rafa Cabrera Bello (Dundonald)
2016 - Alex Noren (Castle Stuart)
2015 - Rickie Fowler (Gullane)
2014 - Justin Rose (Royal Aberdeen)
2013 - Phil Mickelson (Castle Stuart)
Key Stats to Victory
- SG: Approach/Proximity: 175-225
- Birdie or Better Percentage
- SG: Off-the-Tee
- Three-putt avoidance
Champion's Profile
Although only three par-5s appear on the scorecard, plenty of birdie opportunities could present themselves due to forecasted rain softening the grounds in North Berwick as GIR percentages skyrocket on these large, albeit undulating putting surfaces when the course isn't playing firm and fast. Alternatively, Xander Schauffele won at just seven-under-par last year in lousy weather when the wind howled. This isn't exactly a true links-style course, but a significant and steady breeze serves as the primary defense, and creativity on approaches can still be tested with essentially no bunkers guarding the center of the necks into the Renaissance Club's greens. Five par-3s further emphasize the importance of stout iron play, which also factors into three-putt avoidance in an effort to find the correct pockets from which to roll the rock.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Scottie Scheffler ($12,400)
Scheffler's ownership would be out of control if it weren't for the inflated salary and putting concerns, combined with the fact that he posted a rare missed cut here last year, but he should still see healthy enough exposure given he ranks second to none in SG: Off-the-Tee, SG: Approach, overall proximity and Opportunities Gained as the best ball striker on the planet over his past 24-plus rounds. Although he struggled mightily on the greens at the Charles Schwab Challenge and the Memorial Tournament, Scheffler finished on the positive side of SG: Putting in his two most recent outings at the U.S. Open and the Travelers Championship. It's only a matter of time before the World No. 1 secures his first victory since THE PLAYERS in March.
Viktor Hovland ($11,400)
Hovland also missed the cut as a Renaissance Club debutant here last year, but his recent form should be the focus with an average of seven strokes gained from tee to green per event throughout his past five starts, especially excelling off the tee and with his long-iron play from 175-plus yards. He gained an average of 12.4 feet in proximity from 200-plus in his last showing at the Travelers Championship, and he's second in overall proximity over his last 24 rounds.
Matt Fitzpatrick ($10,800)
It feels like Fitzpatrick probably deserves more respect than being sandwiched between Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry on the salary board, but the former does only have one top-15 performance since his win at the RBC Heritage in mid-April. However, Fitzpatrick still sits top-15 in SG: Putting, P4: 450-500 Efficiency and Prox: 200-plus over his last 24 rounds. Fitzpatrick's history at the Renaissance Club is admirable as well, placing T6-T2-T42-T14 here the past four years.
Wyndham Clark ($10,100)
Clark is definitely underpriced at $10,100 on FanDuel compared to his typical market rate this week, so this figures to be a popular click in both cash and GPP formats. Clark currently lands in the No. 5 spot of my 24-round custom model, highlighted by top-10 rankings in par-5 scoring, P4: 450-500 Efficiency, driving distance, Birdies or Better Gained, SG: Putting and Prox: 175-200. He even tied for 16th during his Genesis Scottish Open debut last year, well before becoming the player that's now good enough to be winning designated events and majors.
Longer Shots with Value
Ludvig Aberg ($9,900)
Aberg's driving metrics have been laughably impressive through his first four starts as a professional, gaining a collective 19.6 strokes off the tee from the RBC Canadian Open to the John Deere Classic. En route to a fourth-place effort at TPC Deere Run last week, he also gained another 3.5 strokes apiece with his irons and putter, ultimately racking up 25 total birdies and an eagle in the process. Across his past 12 rounds, Aberg is fourth in Opportunities Gained, seventh in Prox: 175-200 and 10th in par-5 efficiency.
Alex Smalley ($9,600)
It's a bit uncomfortable investing this much capital into Smalley against some strong competition, but his approach play has been truly elite, and he's even gained strokes with the flat stick in three of his last four starts. He played his final 36 holes in 13-under fashion to earn runner-up honors at the JDC last week, where he paced the field in both SG: APP and SG: T2G. Over his past 24 rounds, Smalley ranks second in Opps Gained and fourth in overall proximity. He tied for 10th at the 2022 Scottish Open when he led the tournament in greens in regulation.
Gary Woodland ($9,200)
He's definitely not going to win a putting contest, but Woodland is No. 1 in Prox: 175-200 and fourth in SG: APP over his last 24 rounds, making the cut in nine of his last 10 starts despite a few awful performances on the greens. Woodland also hasn't lost strokes off the tee since September's Fortinet Championship, and he's eighth on Tour in total driving this season.
Doug Ghim ($7,600)
A $7,600 salary is glaringly low for someone who's strung together six consecutive top-35 finishes since the Wells Fargo Championship, while Ghim also ranks top-20 in each of SG: OTT, SG: APP and Birdies or Better over his last 24 rounds. Additionally, Ghim tied for 16th in his Scottish Open debut last year after surging to a second-place position through the first two rounds, which he played in four-under-par.
Strategy Tips This Week
Based on a Standard $60K Salary Cap
A ton of the lesser-known DP World Tour regulars will be severely under-owned, so there's definitely intrigue in pairing them with a few of the studs on a top-heavy board in stars and scrubs schemes for GPPs. In all formats, the $10K range between the aforementioned Clark and Fitzpatrick could go relatively overlooked, especially with players like Sungjae Im, Justin Thomas and Max Homa not playing to their potential lately. Another value play that would pique my interest is Austin Eckroat ($8,400), who burned his backers with a missed cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic after notching five straight top-30s from the AT&T Byron Nelson to the Travelers Championship. His ownership could deflate back down to normal levels as a result, especially being a debutant this week, but he's still seventh in P4: 450-500 Efficiency, ninth in Prox: 175-200 and 18th in SG: OTT over his last 24 rounds, which is a much better sample than two rounds in Detroit.
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