Scottish Open Golf 2025 Betting Tips: Ludvig to strike ahead of major week

The final men’s major of the 2025 season is almost upon us, but before the game’s elite head to Royal Portrush for next week’s Open Championship, they descend on Scotland’s golf-rich east coast for the penultimate tune-up: the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is here with his long-read preview of the event and has picked out six players to back each-way this week. Please check out his thoughts and those all-important Scottish Open 2025 Betting Tips below...

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The Scottish Open was first held in the inaugural DP World Tour season in 1972, though was cancelled just two years later. It returned to the schedule in 1986, remaining an ever-present since, and it became co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour in 2022, further enhancing the tournament's reputation.

Ian Woosnam is the most successful player in its history, winning the title on three occasions: 1987, 1990, and 1996.  Ernie Els (2000, 2003) is the only other multiple champion, and we've also had esteemed names such as Lee Westwood (1998), Colin Montgomerie (1999), Phil Mickelson (2013), Justin Rose (2014), and Rory McIlroy (2023) walk away with the trophy.

Last five winners:

• 2024

Winner: Robert MacIntyre (-18)

Runner-up: Adam Scott (-17)

• 2023

Winner: Rory McIlroy (-15)

Runner-up: Robert MacIntyre (-14)

• 2022

Winner: Xander Schauffele (-7)

Runner-up: Kurt Kitayama (-6)

• 2021

       Winner: Min Woo Lee (-18, playoff)

Runner-up: Matt Fitzpatrick, Thomas Detry (-18)

• 2020

Winner: Aaron Rai (-11, playoff)

Runner-up: Tommy Fleetwood (-11)

A memorable renewal of the Scottish Open in 2024 ended with Robert MacIntyre becoming only the second home player to win this national championship – a quarter of a century on from Colin Montgomerie's 1999 victory. It was a win that was made all the sweeter due to his narrow loss to Rory McIlroy in the 2023 edition.

MacIntyre returns to defend in fine form having finished 2^nd at the US Open last month. If successfully able to retain the title, he'll become the first ever back-to-back winner in the event's history.

THE COURSE

The Renaissance Club was designed by Tom Doak and originally opened in 2008, before undergoing an extensive renovation in 2014. It has been the exclusive host of the Scottish Open since 2019.

It initially played as a par 71 but was changed to a par 70 in 2022, measuring 7237yds. It possesses 5x par 3s (147-218 yards), 10x par 4s (338-505 yards), and 3x par 5s (576-600 yards).

The course is found on Scotland's golf-rich east coast. Although it doesn't possess the history of its neighbours, with its firm fairways, undulating greens, pot bunkers, and fescue rough, this modern links-style venue is not out of place in this part of the world, and will provide vital preparation for next week's Open Championship.

Beginning on flat terrain, the fairways become more undulating as the round progresses. They are largely generous, but several sit at a slightly awkward angle to the tee box and are protected by strategic bunkering, which has made for a demanding driving challenge in recent renewals.

The large greens are the most difficult aspect of playing The Renaissance Club, ranking 5^th, 3^rd and 8^th in putting difficulty on the PGA Tour in the last three seasons. They're severely sloping and multi-tiered, whilst pot bunkers and steep run-offs await to punish those lacking precision with the ball-striking.

This is a deceptively lengthy layout due to that unusual number of five par 3s – none of which are significant in length. Two of the three par 5s measure over/close to 600yds and although we have the potentially drivable 338yd par-4 5^th, six of the 10 par 4s measure 460yds+, with four at 480yds+.

Ultimately, the true difficulty of The Renaissance Club – as with most links/links-like courses – is decided by the conditions. We've seen contrasting winning scores of -22 (Bernd Wiesberger in 2019) and -7 (Xander Schauffele in 2022), but it has generally proved a solid, fair test, averaging a winning score of -15.2 in the previous six renewals.

THE WEATHER

The forecast looks favourable for the players this week, with reasonably warm temperatures and sunshine scheduled throughout. Wind doesn't appear too brutal at present, blowing at around 8-12mph, but as always this could quickly turn into something more severe in this location.

KEY STATS

• SG: Off-the-Tee/Driving Distance

The driver has been a key to success at The Renaissance Club since that first renewal in 2019. Although we've seen all types get into the mix, it's also a venue where the wide fairways and general spaciousness of these courses plays into the hands of bigger hitters.

Robert MacIntyre drove the ball strongly last year, ranking 8^th, as did runner-up Adam Scott who ranked 4^th. Meanwhile, both were inside the top 25 in driving distance.

Rory McIlroy finished 4^th there and was exceptional off-the-tee (OTT), ranking 2^nd and hit the ball further than anyone. This was almost a carbon copy of his 2023 victory, as he led the field both OTT and in driving distance – an event in which 3^rd-place finishers, Byeong Hun An and Scottie Scheffler, ranked 2^nd and 3^rd OTT respectively, and four of the top five ranked top-25 in driving distance.

2022 and 2021 winners, Xander Schauffele and Min Woo Lee are excellent, length drivers of the ball. Something that also applies to other top contenders such as Tommy Fleetwood, Kurt Kitayama, Patrick Cantlay, Thomas Detry, and Ludvig Aberg.

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation/Proximity from 175yds+

Strong approach play into the large, sloping greens has also been vital, as players must position the ball smartly on these surfaces to avoid some treacherously slippery putts. Furthermore, it's the long irons that hold sway, with approaches over 175yds+ very common around the layout.

The irons were the most important clubs in Robert MacIntyre's bag last year, as he ranked 5^th in approach. Runner-up Adam Scott ranked 7^th in greens-in-regulation (GIR), and surprise 3^rd-place finisher Romain Langasque ranked 10^th in approach.

Rory McIlroy's approach play contributed greatly to his 2023 success, ranking 8^th; 2022 winner Xander Schauffele ranked 7^th in approach; the runner-up in 2021, Thomas Detry ranked 2^nd in approach; and Bernd Wiesberger ranked 4^th in the same area when walking away with the trophy in 2019.

• SG: Putting

High-quality ball-striking has proven more important than the putter here, but few players are able to contend with a poor week on the greens.

Robert MacIntyre ranked 16^th in putting last season and seven of the top nine ranked inside the top 25.

David Lingmerth relied on the putter to finish 3^rd in 2023; eight of the top nine ranked inside the top 20 on the greens in 2022; and 2021 champion Matt Fitzpatrick ranked 1^st.

CORRELATING EVENTS

Although The Renaissance Club may not be a traditional links course, there is enough familiarity here with some of those historied venues, meaning form in The Open Championship is sure to be a positive. We also have several events on the DP World Tour to call on in this regard, such as the 2011-2019 editions of the Scottish Open – all played on links/links-like courses – as well as the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, select editions of the Irish Open (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024), and events played at Hillside (2019 British Masters & 2022 Cazoo Classic).

Sticking with the DPWT and the exposed, firm and sandy nature of courses in the Middle East have always proven a happy hunting ground for links performers. This includes events such as the Qatar Masters, Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Bahrain Championship, and notably linksy in style, current Abu Dhabi Championship host Yas Links.

In addition, the KLM (Dutch) Open is another event on the tour that typically takes place on links-style courses.

Over to the US now and whilst exact comparisons are hard to find, there are a number of events that take place on exposed, coastal courses that should be of help.

Some venues of note include the links-like Kiawah Island, host of the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships – events that were won by Open champions, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson. As a place where last year's Scottish Open runner-up Adam Scott won in 2013, Liberty National – which staged the 2009, 2013, 2019 and 2021 editions of The Northern Trust – is also worth a look; meanwhile, RSM Classic host, the Sea Island Resort, is not just coastal and exposed, but has similarly large greens and wide fairways to that which players will find in Scotland this week.

That being said, there's one course on the PGA Tour that has been synonymous with links lovers, and that's the home of the Cognizant Classic, PGA National. This exposed course is located on the east coast of the US and is often subject to challenging conditions. It has been won by Open Championship winners such as Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington; Adam Scott has also won there; 2021 Scottish Open winner at The Renaissance Club, Min Woo Lee finished 2^nd in 2024; and Kurt Kitayama finished 3^rd there in 2022, the same year he finished runner-up in the Scottish Open.

Last of all, we do have another in-use Tom Doak design to call on: the Houston Open at Memorial Park. Min Woo Lee won in Texas earlier in the year to frank this potential form line, and Thomas Detry has finished 2^nd at each course.

THE FIELD

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler returns to the Scottish Open this year, after skipping the event in 2024. He is joined by the rest of the world's top five – Rory McIlroy (#2), Xander Schauffele (#3), Justin Thomas (#4) and Collin Morikawa (#5) – and there are 17 of the top 25 in attendance in total.

Robert MacIntyre will get a hero's welcome as the defending champion. The Scot is one of nine former winners in the field, accompanied by Rory McIlroy (2023), Xander Schauffele (2022), Aaron Rai (2020), Bernd Wiesberger (2019), Brandon Stone (2018), Alex Noren (2016), Justin Rose (2014), and Luke Donald (2011).

We have a whole host of Scottish Open debutants in action this week. Amongst these are recent breakthrough winner Aldrich Potgieter – a player with strong links form due to his 2022 Amateur Championship win at Royal Lytham & St Annes; Brian Campbell arrives in the motherland having secured an incredible second PGA Tour win in last week's John Deere Classic; and look out for the hugely talented and in-form Frenchman Martin Couvra, who not only makes his Scottish Open debut this week but will take part in his first PGA Tour-sanctioned contest.

*You can check out the latest Scottish Open 2025 Odds and bet on this event over on betfred.com

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders: Scottie Scheffler 18/5, Rory McIlroy 15/2, Xander Schauffele 18/1, Tommy Fleetwood 20/1, Collin Morikawa 22/1, Ludvig Aberg 25/1

2 pts Ludvig Aberg each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 25/1

Links golf can often be a great equaliser and with that in mind, we have one of the trickiest betting events of the season so far in my mind. However, Ludvig Aberg has returned to form with his approach play in recent starts and having performed excellently on his debut at The Renaissance Club last season, the Swede looks the standout player from the top of the market this week.

Aberg was somewhat inconsistent at the beginning of the season but there was still lots of quality among his early performances, including winning the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, and finishing 7^th in The Masters. He underwhelmed over the next couple of months following that trip to Augusta, though there have been signs that his game is coming together again of late, recording top 20 finishes in the Memorial Tournament and Canadian Open.

Following a run of sub-par approach play, he arrives having gained strokes with his irons in each of his last four starts and has ranked inside the top 25 in three of them. He's been in fine form with his long irons all season, ranking 1^st in proximity from 200yds+ and when we combine that with his quality off-the-tee, ranking 13^th, this big-hitter has the perfect profile for this test.

He showed himself to be an ideal fit last year, finishing 4^th on debut. However, that doesn't tell the whole story, as he entered the final round with a two-shot lead before suffering some final-round nerves, shooting a three-over 73 to slip three spots down the leaderboard.

That performances shouldn't have come as a great surprise, as Aberg has plenty of quality links form from his amateur days, including reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Meanwhile, his suitability for playing these exposed, coastal venues is emphasised further by both of his PGA Tour wins – the 2025 Genesis Invitational and 2023 RSM Classic – coming on such courses.

1.5 pts Sam Burns each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 33/1

Sam Burns is another player who has found form in approach recently, which has helped him towards five top-20 finishes in as many starts. He’s twice finished inside the top 20 in three visits here, and with his links suitability also highlighted by a strong performance in last year’s Open Championship – for three rounds at least – I’m keen to take my chance with him this week.

Burns has played some of the best and most consistent golf of his career in recent months. He arrives at The Renaissance Club having made his last nine cuts and recording seven top-20 finishes. His best result came when he lost out to Ryan Fox in a playoff in the Canadian Open, though his standout performance really arose on his following start in the US Open, where he entered the final round with a one-shot lead before succumbing to an eight-over 78 to eventually finish 7^th.

However, he showed little hangover from that in the Travelers Championship on his next and latest start, finishing 17^th. Having now enjoyed a few weeks off to fully recover, I’m expecting him to be raring to go on his return to Scotland.

The American is the top-ranked putter on the PGA Tour this season and has been largely solid with the driver, finding plenty of fairways to complement that power. That being said, the recent standard of his performances has no doubt been aided by his iron play, gaining strokes on his last four starts, and he was especially good in the US Open, ranking 8^th.

Burns finished a commendable 18^th on his debut in this event in 2021 and has returned twice since, finishing 66^th in 2022 and 19^th in 2023. He also has a solid Open Championship record, making the cut in three of his four starts in the event and he had every chance of winning last year – sitting just one shot off the lead going into the final round – though shot the joint-worst round on Sunday to finish 31^st. This can all count as positive learning experiences and with his game looking in such great shape at present, he made lots of sense this week.

1 pt Maverick McNealy each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 60/1

Maverick McNealy finished an impressive 16^th here on his one and only try back in 2022. He returns as a stronger and more well-rounded player, and possessing all of the necessary skills, I fancy him to improve on that effort this week.

McNealy is enjoying a great season on the PGA Tour, hitting the top 10 on six occasions. Four of these have resulted in top-five finishes – 2^nd in the Genesis Invitational, 3^rd in the Texas Open, 3^rd in the RBC Heritage, and 5^th in the Memorial Tournament – and he’s also finished inside the top 40 in each of the first three majors.

He has excelled with the driver and putter since turning pro, and we are again seeing evidence of this in 2025, ranking 34^th in putting and 40^th off-the-tee. However, it’s the upgrades in approach that have engineered this career-best level of consistency, ranking 41^st this season – stark contrast to being no better than 118^th in any of the previous five seasons.

McNealy relied predominantly on the putter to finish 16^th at The Renaissance Club in 2022, ranking 9^th. He’s a player who has looked at home by the coast throughout his career, finishing inside the top five at Pebble Beach and in the RBC Heritage, and he finally shed his maiden tag in the RSM Classic at the end of last year – a result which also bodes well for his chances of an improved effort in Scotland.

1 pt Nicolai Hojgaard each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 70/1

Nicolai Hojgaard produced his second-best ball-striking display of the season when we last saw him in the Rocket Classic two weeks ago. Indeed, it’s that same quality with the long game that has enabled him to look so comfortable here the last two years, and I’m taking him to mix it at the top of the leaderboard once again this week.

Hojgaard’s season has lacked consistency so far. It started well, making each of his first three cuts on the PGA Tour and recording a top-10 finish in Mexico, but his only other top 10 came alongside Rasmus in the Zurich Classic, where they finished 2^nd. He has started to look a little better since then, finishing 41^st in the PGA Championship and on his latest start he picked up his first top-25 finish since March, finishing 24^th in the Rocket Classic.

The Dane ranked 14^th in ball-striking there, owing to his approach play in particular, ranking 12^th. That said, despite his inconsistency this season, he has held control over his irons, ranking 9^th in greens-in-regulation, 16^th in approach, and in relation to this week, it’s a major positive to see him rank 17^th in proximity from 200yds+. He’s also putted well for the most part, ranking 45^th and with more room for him to unleash his power off the tee, he’s primed for a big week in Scotland.

Hojgaard missed the cut on debut here in 2022 but reacted brilliantly the following year, finishing 6^th, and returned to finish 39^th last year. He’s hit the ball superbly in each of those last two starts, ranking 3^rd in ball-striking last year and 6^th in 2023, and again it’s the irons that have shone brightest, ranking 4^th and 1^st in those respective years.

1 pt Haotong Li each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 100/1

Haotong Li is hitting the ball just about as well as anyone on the DP World Tour this season. He has tonnes of links/linksy form to his name and possessing the confidence to take on a field such as this, the Chinese star looks well worth chancing at The Renaissance Club.

Haotong hasn’t missed a cut on the DPWT in 2025 and claimed his fourth tour title in the Qatar Masters back in February. He’s had three further top-four finishes since then, finishing 2^nd in the Turkish Airlines Open, 4^th in the Soudal Open, and 4^th at home in the Volvo China Open.

The long game has been key to his form, ranking 1^st in approach, 8^th in greens-in-regulation and 18^th off-the-tee. He has the power to attack this layout, ranking 30^th in driving distance and as a typically sound putter, ranking 53^rd this season, he ticks most boxes statistically.

Li has played in nine Scottish Opens since debuting in 2016 and his two best results have each come at The Renaissance Club, finishing 14^th in 2020 and 21^st in 2024. His links form is boosted by a best of 3^rd in The Open Championship – chasing home Jordan Spieth at Royal Birkdale in 2017 – and he has recorded two top 10s in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Meanwhile, his win in Qatar this year is one of many strong performances in the Middle East, doing nothing but strengthen his case around this layout.

1 pt Kristoffer Reitan each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 150/1

Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan has been in excellent form on the DPWT in recent months, including earning a breakthrough tour win in the Soudal Open. He’s gone well on some of those linksy courses mentioned above and possessing a handy piece of form at this course from his amateur days, this strong-driving type can be the surprise package of the week at The Renaissance Club.

Reitan was performing solidly at the start of the season but has taken his form to new heights in the last two-and-a-half months. His 2^nd-place finish in the Hainan Classic was the first of four top-four finishes in his last seven starts, following that by winning in Belgium two starts later. He has since recorded another runner-up finish in the Austrian Alpine Open and was 4^th in last week’s BMW International Open.

The driver has been his biggest weapon, combining power with accuracy to rank 15^th off-the-tee. He’s also been a solid 61^st in approach and after struggling to find consistency with the putter at the beginning of the season, he’s been excellent over this hot period, now ranking 34^th on the greens this season.

He turned pro in 2018 after a very successful amateur career and immediately earned his DPWT card at Q-School for the 2019 season. He made his Scottish Open debut at this course that year, missing the cut, but that wasn’t his first taste of the venue, as he topped the stroke-play section of the 2016 Boy’s Amateur – an event that was co-hosted by The Renaissance Club and nearby Muirfield.

That experience should serve Reitan well as he returns for another stab at the course as a much better player and having recorded top-25 finishes on the linksy layouts in the Netherlands, Bahrain and Qatar already this season, there is enough evidence that this type of course suits his game.

You can access all our latest Golf Odds over on Betfred.com

You can find all Jamie's latest Golf Betting Tips over on our dedicated golf Insights hub