Women’s Scottish Open 2025 Betting Tips: Jamie’s five from Dundonald Links

Following Grace Kim’s thrilling play-off victory in the Evian Championship a fortnight ago, there's just one women’s major remaining in the 2025 season. Before the world’s best head to Royal Porthcawl for the Women’s Open, a strong field descends on Dundonald Links for the Women’s Scottish Open, aiming to sharpen up their links skills ahead of the big one in Wales next week.

Our golf guru Jamie Worsley is on-hand with a comprehensive preview for the tournament. Check out his Women's Scottish Open 2025 Betting Tips below...

You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest Women's Scottish Open Odds over on betfred.com

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Women’s Scottish Open was initially played on the Ladies European Tour (LET) from 1986 to 1988, and then again in 1994 and 1995. It returned from a 12-year absence in 2007 and has been co-sanctioned with the LPGA since 2017.

Scotland’s own Catriona Matthew is the only player to win multiple editions of the event, with both victories coming in 2011 and 2013 at Archerfield Links.

Last five winners:

• 2024

Winner: Lauren Coughlin (-15)

Runner-up: Esther Henseleit (-11)

• 2023

Winner: Celine Boutier (-15)

Runner-up: Hyo Joo Kim (-13)

• 2022

Winner: Ayaka Furue (-21)

Runner-up: Celine Boutier (-18)

• 2021

Winner: Ryann O’Toole (-17)

Runners-up: Lydia Ko, Jeeno Thitikul (-14)

• 2020

Winner: Stacy Lewis (-5, playoff)

Runners-up: Cheyenne Knight, Azahara Munoz, Emily Kristine Pedersen (-5)

American Lauren Coughlin produced a dominant display in Scotland to win her second LPGA-sanctioned title of 2024, beating Germany’s Esther Henseleit by four shots. She is back to defend this week and would become the first player to successfully do so if she again leaves Dundonald Links with the trophy.

THE COURSE

The Women’s Scottish Open has had several different host courses and returns to Dundonald Links for the seventh time this week. It first staged the event from 2015 to 2017 and has been the regular host since 2022.

Located in Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland, Dundonald is a modern links venue that opened in 2005. It was designed by American architect Kyle Phillips, who also designed the famous Kingsbarns – host of the 2017 Women’s Open and one of three courses played in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour.

The course plays as a par 72, measuring 6538yds and consists of 4x par 3s (123-172yds), 10x par 4s (344-420yds), and 4x par 5s (515-518yds). However, it will be setup to play significantly shorter over the course of the week, with potential alterations including the 386yd par-4 reduced to a drivable 283yds, and two of the par 5s shortened to sub-480yds.

As an exposed layout situated on Scotland’s west coast, it will come as no surprise that the weather often determines the difficulty of this challenge. Conditions made things particularly demanding in 2017, as Mi Hyang Lee fired a six-under-par total to walk away with the trophy. Meanwhile, Ayaka Furue shot a whole 15 shots lower in 2022, winning by three with a score of 21-under-par.

Dundonald Links may only be 20 years old, but it features everything you’ll find at the older, more traditional links courses in this area.

The sandy, firm fairways are generous and extremely undulating. They’re doglegged and protected by all of the usual suspects: deep pot bunkers, thick fescue rough, gorse bushes and other native foliage, and there’s also a burn that weaves it’s way through the course.

The large greens use a fescue/poa/bentgrass mix and as you’d expect, they usually run slow on the stimp at around 10.5. It’s on and around these raised putting surfaces where Dundonald comes alive.

They’re heavily contoured, severely sloped in places, and are guarded by steep run-off areas and deep bunkers that will test even the best players around the greens. Many of them are angled to the fairway and narrow/shallow in shape, allowing them to tuck tricky pin positions that demand high-class iron play to access.

Dundonald Links is full of birdie chances, with countless shorter par 4s that can be attacked with a drive and a wedge, and four reachable par 5s. Several of them do come with an element of risk/reward attached, which includes the 518yd par-5 18^th – on which the aforementioned burn hugs the right-hand side of the narrow, angled final green.

It's a closing hole that almost ensures drama and will play a decisive role in deciding the outcome of this week’s event.

THE WEATHER

There are forecast to be heavy rains at the start of the week in Ayrshire, with 12mm falling on Monday/Tuesday. Although it remains a threat during the event, it doesn’t appear too substantial from Thursday onwards.

That should leave us with a receptive course, and it will need wind to offer defence. It does look challenging on Friday, with constant speeds of around 18mph and gusts of 22mph+, though it is predicted to blow at a much gentler 11-12mph for the rest of the week. This is enough to make players take notice, but not enough to cause real problems.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation

With a soft course and playable winds, I expect this to be a low-scoring edition and will therefore focus on players who excel in approach and on the greens.

As we saw last year, strong iron play will take you far at Dundonald regardless of the conditions. Winner Lauren Coughlin ranked 9^th in approach and 6^th in greens-in-regulation; runner-up Esther Henseleit ranked 1^st in approach and GIR; 3^rd-place finishers Megan Khang and Ayaka Furue ranked 3^rd and 4^th in approach, and 4^th and 5^th in GIR, respectively; and Charley Hull, in 5^th, ranked 2^nd in GIR.

2023 winner Celine Boutier ranked 4^th in GIR and some of her nearest challengers excelled in approach – 3^rd-place finisher Ruoning Yin ranked 3^rd, and 4^th-place finisher Maja Stark ranked 4^th.

Meanwhile, Ayaka Furue ranked 10^th in GIR when she won here in 2022. Hyo Joo Kim and Cheyenne Knight, who both finished 3^rd, ranked 4^th and 8^th in approach, respectively.

• SG: Putting (slow/links greens)

The putter has been strikingly important in recent renewals, and anybody who typically putts well on links or slow greens in general should be particularly favoured.

Each of the last three winners of this event at Dundonald Links – Lauren Coughlin (2024), Celine Boutier (2023), & Ayaka Furue (2022) – all ranked 1^st on the greens for the week.

• Birdie-or-Better %

Lastly, with the course likely to be soft and receptive, and accompanied by no especially troublesome winds, we should see a tonne of birdies. Therefore, players who rank high in birdie-or-better % will be of interest.

CORRELATING EVENTS

The Women’s Scottish Open only returned to Dundonald Links in 2022 after a four-year absence. Fortunately, each of the events in the interim were played on links/modern links courses – Dumbarnie Links (2021), The Renaissance Club (2020, 2019), and Gullane GC (2018) – and can be called upon for help this week.

The Women’s Open is another obvious event to look at. Unlike the men’s Open Championship, it isn’t always played on links courses but is more often than not. Every edition since 2009 – excluding the 2016, 2019, and 2023 renewals – was played on the links.

As an event co-sanctioned between the LET and LPGA, with an even split of players from each tour making up the field, it makes sense to look at tournaments from each tour for clues.

The Shoprite LPGA Classic at Seaview’s Bay Course is a venue where strong links performers often go well – with Women’s Open winners Ashleigh Buhai, Anna Nordqvist, In Kyung Kim, Stacy Lewis, Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam, and Se Ri Pak, all past champions there. It’s coastal and exposed, with open-fronted greens that encourage play along the ground, whilst strong bunkering and fescue offer similar punishment for errant ball-striking. 2023 Dundonald winner Celine Boutier has won there, and 2022 Women’s Scottish Open winner Ayaka Furue has finished 2^nd.

Staying in the same area of the U.S. and Liberty National Golf Club, host of the Mizuho Americas Open, can also be of use. It’s even more exposed than Seaview, with over 100 bunkers and long fescue rough. Celine Boutier finished 2^nd there earlier this year.

My last event of interest this week is the Saudi Ladies International on the LET, which always attracts a strong contingent from the LPGA. Golf in the Middle East often compares closely to links golf, played on exposed, sandy courses with strong bunkering and undulating greens; it's also a region where wind can be a major factor.

THE FIELD

World No. 1 Nelly Korda will make her Women’s Scottish Open debut this week, looking to get in some vital links practice before next week’s Women’s Open. She is one of four players from the top 10 on the Rolex Rankings, joined by No. 5 Minjee Lee, No. 8 Maja Stark, and No. 10 Hyo Joo Kim.

Lauren Coughlin returns to defend and is one of four past champions in attendance, alongside Ayaka Furue (2022), Ariya Jutanugarn (2018), and Mi Hyang Lee (2017).

England’s Lottie Woad will make her professional debut, after the former No.1 amateur finished an excellent 3^rd in the Evian Championship two weeks ago. Scottish star Hannah Darling will also tee it up for the first time as a pro this week; she enjoyed an esteemed amateur career herself, reaching as high as No. 11 in the world rankings.

SELECTIONS

Ariya Jutanugarn each-way (1/5 - 7 places) @ 30/1

Ariya Jutanugarn is playing some of her best golf for several years in 2025. She has an excellent record on the links and continuing to thrive in approach, she has every chance of becoming just the second two-time winner of the Women’s Scottish Open.

Ariya has missed just one cut in 11 starts this season and recorded six top-10 finishes, three of which have come across the four majors played so far. Her best result was a 2^nd-place finish in the Chevron Championship – where she lost in a playoff to Mao Saigo – and she arrives here after finishing 7^th in the Evian Championship two weeks ago.

The Thai star is gaining strokes through the bag this year, but she excels in approach, ranking 11^th. She’s also a solid 67^th on the greens and ranking inside the top 20 in birdie-or-better %, she has the skillset to take advantage of low-scoring conditions in Scotland.

Jutanugarn hasn’t pulled up any trees in four starts at Dundonald, but she did win this event at Gullane back in 2018. Her links pedigree is further highlighted by three top-10s in the Women’s Open – not including her victory in the event in 2016 at Woburn’s parkland Marquess Course. In addition, her comp form strengthens her case, recording top five-finishes in the Shoprite Classic, Mizuho Americas Open, and Saudi Ladies International.

Akie Iwai each-way (1/5 - 7 places) @ 40/1

LPGA rookie Akie Iwai has looked at home on her previous visits to the UK, finishing 11^th and 7^th on her two starts in the Women’s Open. She’s been one of the strongest iron players and heaviest scorers on tour this season, which can aid her in earning a breakthrough win this week.

Iwai has had a great first season on the LPGA thus far, twice going close to victory when finishing 2^nd in the Honda LPGA Thailand and JM Eagle LA Championship. She did miss the cut at the Evian Championship on her latest start, but that was off the back of five made cuts in a row, including a 7^th-place finish in the Meijer LPGA Classic three starts ago.

Her tee-to-green game has been excellent all year, ranking 10^th. The irons have looked particularly strong, ranking 7^th in approach and 11^th in greens-in-regulation, and her ranking of 4^th in birdie-or-better % is another plus.

Although producing positive numbers for the season overall, the putter is the weakest club in the bag. However, having grown up putting slower greens in Japan, we may just see her at her best on these slow surfaces.

Iwai hasn’t played in this event before, but she does have an impressive Women’s Open record, finishing 11^th at Walton Heath in 2023 and 7^th at St Andrews last year. That 2024 effort in particular should mean that she is full of confidence as she returns to Scotland this week.

Gabriela Ruffels each-way (1/5 - 7 places) @ 55/1

After achieving the best major finish of her career in France, Gabriela Ruffels should arrive at Dundonald in buoyant mood. She showed serious improvements on the greens there, and coming back to a course where she finished 6^th on debut last year, the Aussie looks primed to earn her first LPGA win.

Ruffels had been consistent this season, missing just four cuts in her first 13 starts and recording a couple of top-25 finishes. She’d failed to record a top-10 prior to the Evian Championship but put that right there, finishing 9^th – also her first ever top-10 in a major.

She putted beautifully that week, ranking 5^th – a stark contrast to her season-long ranking of 150^th. With her tee-to-green game looking sound, ranking 34^th, and sitting just outside the top 40 in approach, if she can maintain that upturn with the putter a win shouldn’t be all that far away.

Ruffels grew up playing golf in the Melbourne Sandbelt – with the esteemed Victoria Golf Club her home course. Golf in this area often draws comparisons with links golf due to the firm, sandy nature of the ground. With that, it was no surprise to see her finish 6^th on her Women’s Scottish Open debut last year, and having also finished 3^rd in the Mizuho Americas Open, there is a lot to like about her chances this week.

Ingrid Lindblad each-way (1/5 - 7 places) @ 100/1

Former No. 1 amateur Ingrid Lindblad is another player who looked comfortable on the links throughout her amateur years. She’s enjoyed a winning start to her full-time LPGA career in 2025 and as a great putter who hits a high percentage of greens, the Swede can double her tally for the season at Dundonald.

Lindblad has played a limited schedule in 2025, but she made an immediate impact at this level back in April, winning the JM Eagle LA Championship on just her fourth start of the season. She’s missed three cuts in seven starts since and failed to hit the top 30. Although, I do take confidence from the fact that her best result during this period came in the US Women’s Open, when 35^th at Erin Hills – an exposed, rolling course with sloping greens.

She ranks 10^th with the putter on the LPGA this season and whilst her iron play isn’t always the most precise, her ranking of 36^th in greens-in-regulation is a positive. Furthermore, she sits inside the top 40 in birdie-or-better % - making for a useful all-round skillset if this indeed turns into a bit of a birdie-fest.

Lindblad hasn’t played in this event before and she’s missed each of her four cuts in the Women’s Open. Having said that, she did take to this brand of golf as an amateur – finishing 3^rd in the 2023 Women’s Amateur at Prince’s Golf Club, and 9^th in the 2022 edition at Hunstanton Golf Club.

Annabell Fuller each-way (1/5 - 7 places) @ 600/1

England’s Annabell Fuller is a former top-25 amateur with a huge back-catalogue of links form. She competed well amongst a strong field in the Saudi Ladies International at the start of the year and is well worth a shot at a massive price this week.

Fuller made a great start to the season on the LET, finishing 6^th in the Lalla Meryem Cup and 3^rd in the Saudi Ladies International on her first two starts. She has struggled for consistency since but did go well at the Jabra Ladies Open five starts ago, finishing 5^th.

She’s among the best birdie-makers on the LET, ranking 7^th in birdie average. This is often engineered by high-class iron play, ranking 27^th in greens-in-regulation and she ranked inside the top 10 in approach to record that 5^th-place finish in the Jabra Ladies Open.

Fuller hasn’t played in this event before and has little Women’s Open form to go off – finishing 61^st as an amateur in 2021 and missing the cut last year. But that 3^rd-place finish in the Saudi Ladies International was a hugely encouraging performance in similar conditions.

In addition, her amateur results are packed with excellent links performances. This includes winning the 2020 English Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club, finishing 2^nd in the Women’s Amateur Championship that same year at West Lancashire Golf Club, and recording two further top-10s in the Women’s Amateur.

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