As the Genesis Scottish Open marks its second edition as a co-sanctioned event by the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, The Renaissance Club continues its association as host venue for a fifth consecutive occasion.
Last year, 14 of the world’s top 15 players on the Official World Golf Ranking competed at Scotland’s national Open which counted to both the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and the FedEx Cup.
That was the strongest-ever field on the DP World Tour outside of Majors and World Golf Championships.
The 40th anniversary of the tournament was also significant as it welcomed Genesis, the luxury automotive brand from South Korea, as its new title sponsor.
Since it first moved to the Renaissance Club in 2019, the event – which has formed part of the Rolex Series since its launch in 2017 – has continued to retain its place in golf’s global calendar the week ahead of The Open.
Two of the past three winners of golf’s oldest Major have finetuned their preparations by taking part at the Scottish Open, which has long been regarded as one of Europe’s most prestigious tournaments.
Founded in 2008, the Renaissance Club nestles on 300 picturesque acres along the Firth of Forth and is one of the newest additions to the world-famous stretch known as Scotland’s Golf Coast.
A record-breaking crowd – more than 68,500 people – attended last year’s event in East Lothian, which saw Xander Schauffele claim his first Rolex Series title with a seven under total.
Ahead of last year’s event, the Renaissance Club engaged three-time Major Championship winner Pádraig Harrington as a ‘player consultant’, discussing matters related to course design with renowned American course architect Tom Doak.
The previous three editions in 2019, 2020 and 2021 had all seen low winning scores, ranging from when Bernd Wiesberger posted the tournament record-low score of 22-under, to Aaron Rai’s 11-under total in a Covid-hit field in 2020 and Min Woo Lee’s 18-under score in 2022.
That led to some players questioning its difficulty and whether good shots were being rewarded and bad shots being penalised sufficiently. But for all those three editions soft and calm conditions were a key contributing factor.
Among the changes made before last year, new pot bunkers were built on the right-hand side of the first and seventh fairways, creating a new dilemma for players off the tee, with both holes going on to play over par across the four rounds.
In another of the more notable changes, trees were cleared on both sides of the par-five 10th fairway, and a new dune complex built on the right, ensuring a wayward drive would mean it is more challenging to reach the green.
Other subtle changes included a band of semi-rough being introduced to cut off across the run-off areas around some of the greens – something Harrington was instrumental behind from a players’ perspective.
But one thing the 2021 Ryder Cup Captain thought important to do was to ensure that any changes would also positively impact the amateur experience.
Speaking in 2021 as he begun his role as a player consultant, Harrington said: "I see [value] on golf courses where there are simple things that can make it a little bit more challenging for the pros but not take away from the amateurs.
"You never want to take away from the amateurs. Pros are only here one week a year, so the first and foremost has to be the amateur experience and how they are enjoying it.”
But for this week, attention is firmly focused on how golf’s top stars fare in East Lothian, with eight of the top ten players in the world forming part of an exciting field.
World number one Scottie Scheffler is joined by Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa and Jordan Spieth.
Among other high-profile players in action are Major winners Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Adam Scott and Justin Thomas, European Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton along with Rickie Fowler, who won this event at Gullane in 2015.
Reflecting on his triumph last year, when he showed his grit to battle to a level-par 70 on a thrilling final day for a one-shot victory, Schaufelle looked ahead to returning to the scene of his first win in Scotland: “I can’t wait to return to The Renaissance Club to defend my Genesis Scottish Open title. It was a special week, winning my first title in Europe and the way I did it, digging in on Sunday and making it count down the stretch to get it over the line.
“The fans really got behind me, which just added to the experience of playing in Scotland, and I’m looking forward to coming back in July.”
The American-owned Renaissance Club will host the prestigious tournament which has a $9m prize fund for the next four years, with the continued commitment of the Scottish Government, managed by VisitScotland.
Keith Pelley, DP World Tour Chief Executive, said: "The Renaissance Club has proved to be a wonderful home for Scotland’s national open over the past four years, and we are delighted to extend our stay in East Lothian through to 2026."
Beginning from the 10th hole, typically the seventh hole for the members, the course makes its way towards the Firth of Forth, with its signature three-hole stretch beginning from the 12th.
“The prettiest view on the course is when you walk up onto the 12th and the lighthouse on Fidra (an uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth) comes into view after you couldn’t quite see it from the tee,” Doak said.
“Then the next hole plays right along cliffs with a secluded beach to the left. And then at the 14th, you turn around and play back toward Arthur’s Seat (an ancient volcano) in Edinburgh around the curve of the shoreline.”
With another star-studded field assembled, if the expected rain and wind arrives later this week it should ensure the course plays to its most exacting test as the eyes of the golfing world are on the seaside town of North Berwick.
