2016 Scottish Open Preview & Betting Tips

2016 Scottish Open

Where: Castle Stuart Golf Course, Inverness, Scotland
When: Thursday 7^th July (first tee 3:30pm)
Purse: $5,700,000

The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open will be the perfect warm up for the Open Championship, which will take place at Royal Troon (Scotland) next week.

This week’s field is quite strong, with players such as Henrik Stenson, Branden Grace, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson all in attendance. In 2013 at this very tournament Phil Mickelson defeated Branden Grace in a play-off. Phil then went on to win the Open Championship a week later.

Castle Stuart is known as a short links course and some have even complained that it is too easy. Regardless it is a great opportunity for players to adjust their game style to suit that of a links course. You could land a Boeing 747 on most of the fairways. Therefore, players that struggle off the tee might be able to capitalize. However, your short game needs to be very sharp as Castle Stuart can be very tricky around the greens.

The Moray Firth is the largest inlet in Scotland and it provides a dramatic coastal backdrop for the Scottish Open. Sun, rain, wind and cloud are all forecast over the weekend and players need to be able to adjust on the fly as weather in this part of the world can change in a heartbeat.

The Scottish Open has produced 30 winners from 14 countries (8 of those winners were Major Champions).

Branden Grace

With wins on both the European tour and the PGA tour this season it is clear Grace is playing great golf. He finished T5th at the U.S. Open and was also runner up to Phil Mickelson at this tournament in 2013. He is not the most accurate off the tee (54.14% ranked 174) but his short game is great (ranked 7^th scrambling 10-20 yards and 3^rd scrambling from 30 yards) therefore his game should translate well at Castle Stuart.
Tip: Branden Grace to win outright - $13 at CrownBet

Russell Knox

The hometown hero should feel very comfortable this week. He is having a great season on the PGA tour, currently sitting 5^th in Fed Ex cup standings. He already has a win and two 2^nd place finishes on US soil and also finished 2^nd in the Irish Open earlier this year. He hits plenty of greens and also scrambles very well. A solid pick in Inverness this week.
Tip: Russell Knox to win outright - $34 at CrownBet

Padraig Harrington

With 14 European tour wins and only 6 PGA tour wins it is clear Harrington plays his best golf closer to home. More specifically he plays his best golf on links courses. He has one of the best short games going around (currently ranked 4^th in strokes gained around the green) and is a wizard out of the sand (ranked 1^st in proximity to the hole). He is a long shot but he showed a little something in the final round of the French open last week.
Tip: Padraig Harrington to win outright - $101 at CrownBet
+ Harrington to finish top 10 - $9 at CrownBet