The fifth Rolex Series event of the season takes the European Tour to Gullane Golf Club for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open. Approximately 20 miles along the coast from Edinburgh, the course hosts the tournament for the second time in three years after Rickie Fowler triumphed on the links in 2015.
Fowler, who tees it up this week ahead of The Open Championship at Carnoustie, will join fellow Americans Patrick Reed and 2013 champion Phil Mickelson in the field. 2014 winner Justin Rose and the defending champion Rafa Cabrera Bello will also look to lift the trophy for a second time.
The average score at Gullane in 2015 was 69.41 with the tournament ranking fourth in fewest bogeys or worse that season. This suggests we could be in for plenty of red numbers at the end of an exciting three-week stretch of Rolex Series events that have captured the imagination.
Our stats guru has weighed up the numbers and selected three players who might enhance your Fantasy team this week…
Favourite: Patrick Reed
The Masters Tournament Champion might not have his Green Jacket stowed away in his luggage this week, but if he brings his A-game to Gullane he will be in with a real shot of claiming his third European Tour title. The Texan has proven form in links golf — since 2015 he has recorded three top 20s on coastal layouts. His shares of tenth and 12threspectively came when he played the Scottish Open and Open Championship back-to-back in 2016, making him a potentially canny selection for this week.
Reed arrives in Scotland in strong form, having finished outright fourth at the recent US Open. The fact he performed so well on a firm and fast golf course could make him an ideal candidate to thrive if conditions get tough at Gullane. The statistics don’t lie either; Reed ranks in the top three for scoring on Par 3s (2.71), Par 4s (3.58) and Par 5s (4.20) and is seventh in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (+1.796). It might sound obvious, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the reigning Masters Champion.
Form horse: Louis Oosthuizen
It’s a dangerous game to discount Louis Oosthuizen. The South African has been incredibly consistent this season with top 16 finishes in four of his six starts. His success against a stellar field remains unsurprisingly high, with ties for 12thand 16that the Masters and US Open respectively proving that.
We know he can mix it up on the links too, with his Open win in 2010 representing the pinnacle of his links showings. He was runner-up in his bid for a second Claret Jug in 2015, and can also lay claim to a top four finish in the 2007 Scottish Open. His highly-praised swing has helped him to 11thspot in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (+0.952) this season, and if he gets it going again this week there is no reason he cannot be a contender.
Wildcard: Andy Sullivan
It may have been three years since Andy Sullivan’s last win on tour, but form suggests another ‘W’ is around the corner. The 33 year old has finished in the top nine in five of his last seven events, including a share of sixth at Ballyliffin Golf Club last week. Only Jorge Campillo has more top tens this season. The preparation in Ireland could prove ideal for a man in search of his first victory on a links layout.
Sullivan clearly has a liking for this type of golf. In his last two Scottish Opens, he has finished in the top nine and in 2015, his last outing at Gullance, he posted three sub-70 rounds. The three-time European Tour winner has had no problem making birdies this season, sinking 259 in 56 rounds to rank sixth in 2018. He’s also ninth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (+1.008), meaning the signs are pointing to another good week for the man with the biggest smile on Tour.
Click here to pick your team.
