NORTH BERWICK, SCOTLAND – JULY 12: Tom Kim of South Korea poses with the trophy following victory on day four of the Genesis Scottish Open 2026 at The Renaissance Club on July 12, 2026 in North Berwick, Scotland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
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When it comes to young golfers brimming with potential on the PGA Tour, the list is long. However, there aren’t many at age 24 with the resume of Tom Kim. After Kim came from behind to win the Scottish Open this past weekend, he did more that cement his spot in the Open Championship field. He ended a 1,0001 day winless drought.
Kim shot a -6 under par final round to finish his come-from-behind two shot win, and a -17 under tournament score. The win was the fourth of his career as the South Korean born Kim continues to show he has all the game necessary to be a regular staple on tour.
The victory overseas moved Kim’s career earnings over $20 million dollars, but the biggest story following the win at The Renaissance Club was how Scottie Scheffler missed the cut. It was the first missed cut for Scheffler since the 2022 season, and leaves plenty of questions surrounding the state of his game heading into the game’s fourth, and final, major of the season.
The Scottish Open being a DP World Tour event, along with the PGA Tour, means it was a full field event, and that will be the case next weekend at Royal Birkdale Golf Club for the Open Championship.
Let’s take a look at who was projected to be contending, based on pre-tournament odds.
2026 Scottish Open Odds
- Scottie Scheffler (+500)
- Rory McIlroy (+920)
- Jon Rahm (+1300)
- Xander Schauffele (+1850)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2050)
When it came to picks for this event, I like to start with my favorite and long shot picks for the tournament. The favorite pick is the winner pick I like the most. For the long shot winner, that is a golfer who has over +2000 odds to win. It is a long shot pick for a reason, and finding those can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Here were my favorite and long shot picks for the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open:
Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+500) – MISS
All the writing on the wall was for Scheffler to finish this tournament strong before the Open Championship. In reality, Scheffler didn’t even finish the tournament after missing his first cut since 2022. Everyone who potentially placed a bet on this event was shocked at this result.
Long Shot: Wyndham Clark (+3100) – MISS
Clark is one of the hottest golfers in the game right now, and had a strong tournament, finishing T13. However, it’s a far cry from finishing in the winner’s circle. My streak of not hitting a long shot play continues.
Top 5 Bets For The Genesis Scottish Open 2026
- Scottie Scheffler (+114) – MISS
I was stunned when I saw Scheffler getting plus-odds to finish in the Top 5, and wasted no time picking him for this placement. After missing the cut, I know I wasn’t the only person who missed on several Scheffler bets this past weekend.
- Tommy Fleetwood (+375) – MISS
Like Wyndham Clark, Fleetwood had a good tournament, but he wasn’t able to finish in the Top 5 category. Fleetwood’s T13 finish makes him a strong consideration for the Open Championship next weekend at a home course, but a wasn’t good enough for a Top 5 play.
Top 10 Picks For The Scottish Open 2026
- Rory McIlroy (+104) – HIT
Rory doesn’t play as many tournaments as he once did, and he typically plays well at The Renaissance Club. With him getting plus-odds to be a Top 10 play, I couldn’t pass up the bet. McIlroy Top 10 hits with his T7 end result.
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+194) – HIT
Similar to McIlroy, Fitzpatrick has been one of the best golfers on tour this season. Put him back on European soil and I thought +194 for a Top 10 finish just made sense. Fitzpatrick obliged, and his T3 finish put us easily in the money on this play.
Top 20 Value Picks For The Scottish Open 2026
- Viktor Hovland (+144) – HIT
The last time we saw Hovland on the course he was beating Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at the Travelers Championship signature event. Hovland, another European player I chose to ride during this tournament, didn’t disappoint with a T13 finish. Getting +144 for Hovland to be Top 20 was an easy pick.
- Shane Lowry (+198) – MISS
My “gut pick” of the week was Shane Lowry to find his form as the tournament schedule headed to Europe. My gut was wrong as Lowry failed to make the cut, just like Scheffler. I hate to say a singular tournament could break a player, but Lowry hasn’t been the same since his fourth round meltdown at the Cognizant Classic earlier this season.
Best Prop Bets, Parlays And Bonus Plays For The 2026 Scottish Open
For bonus plays, these are picks which I don’t necessarily hang my hat on, but still provide value for some who want more exotic plays outside of the aforementioned picks. Sometimes bonus plays are parlays, double chances, triple chances, and even some fun plays for that particular event.
Here are the bonus plays for the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open:
Double Chance: Scottie Scheffler or Matt Fitzpatrick (+400) – MISS
Triple Chance: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg (+385) – MISS
Top 20 Parlay: Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Chris Gotterup (+680) – MISS
Tournament Review:
Outright Plays: 3/8
Bonus Plays: 0/3