Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: John Deere Classic (J.T. Poston)
THIS WEEK: Scottish Open, North Berwick, Scotland, July 7-10
Course: The Renaissance Club (Par 70, 7,237 yards)
Purse: $8M (Winner: $1.44M)
Defending Champion: Min Woo Lee
FedExCup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (GC), 12-3 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming: ESPN+: Thursday-Friday, 2:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 4:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Twitter: @ScottishOpen
NOTES: The event is co-sanctioned for the first time as part of the Strategic Alliance between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. The winner will receive benefits from both tours. … The 160-player field includes 14 of the top 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking along with four LIV Golf participants who were granted spots through a temporary court stay on a DP World Tour ban: South Africa’s Branden Grace and Justin Harding, England’s Ian Poulter and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui. … The top three finishers within the top 10 who are not otherwise already exempt will receive spots in The Open Championship next week. … The Renaissance Club plays host to the event for the fourth time. The average winning score from the previous three has been 17-under par, with each decided in a playoff. … Former Wake Forest teammates Will Zalatoris (No. 13) and Cameron Young (No. 31) are the two highest-ranked players in the world who have not won in their PGA Tour careers. … Rickie Fowler is in the field as he attempts to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs after missing out last year. He is currently No. 123 and needs to stay within the top 125. … Robert MacIntyre (No. 102) is the highest-ranked Scotsman in the field. The last Scotsman to win the event was Colin Montgomerie in 1999.
BEST BETS: Jon Rahm (+1200 at BetMGM) finished solo seventh last year and leads the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained off the tee. … Justin Thomas (+1400) tied for eighth last year and has nine top-10s in 16 starts on the PGA Tour this season. … Scheffler (+1400) tied for 12th last year and has a pair of runner ups in his past four starts. He leads the PGA Tour in greens in regulation. … Xander Schauffele (+1800) is making his first start since winning the Travelers Championship and he won the JP McManus Pro-Am on Tuesday. … Matthew Fitzpatrick (+2000) tees it up for the first time since claiming his first major title at the U.S. Open. He lost to Lee in a playoff last year and has four top-10s in his past five starts. … Zalatoris (+2500) leads the DP World Tour Ranking courtesy of his runner-up finishes in each of the past two majors. … Collin Morikawa (+2800) won The Open last year the week following a T71 at the Scottish Open.
THIS WEEK: Barbasol Championship, Nicholasville, Kent., July 7-10
Course: Keene Trace Golf Club, July 7-10
Purse: $3.7M (Winner: $666,000)
Defending Champion: Seamus Power
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Saturday, 4-7 p.m. ET; Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
Twitter: BarbasolChamp
NOTES: There are 50 spots available in the field for DP World Tour players as part of the Strategic Alliance. … The field includes past champions Jim Herman, Grayson Murray and Aaron Baddeley. … Kentucky native and former Morehead State star Josh Teater is in the field on a sponsors exemption. … One spot is available for The Open to the top finisher within the top five who is not otherwise already exempt. … Brandt Snedeker is one of six players who have qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in each season since its inception in 2007. He is currently No. 173 and needs to get inside the top 125 to qualify again.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: The Open Championship, Fife, Scotland, July 14-17
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (In Gee Chun)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, Midland, Mich., July 13-16
Champions Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: U.S. Senior Open Championship (Padraig Harrington)
THIS WEEK: Senior Players Championship, Akron, Ohio, July 4-10
Course: Firestone Country Club (Par 70, 7,248 yards)
Purse: $3M (Winner: $450,000
Defending Champion: Steve Stricker
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steven Alker
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: 1:30-4 p.m. ET; Saturday, 12-4 p.m.; Sunday, 12-3 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
Twitter: @BridgestoneSP
NOTES: This is the fourth of five majors on the Champions Tour this season. … This is the 40th edition of the event and the 69th consecutive year that Firestone has played host to a professional golf event. … Bernhard Langer is a three-time winner of the event and the most recent to successfully defend a title at the Senior Players (2014-16). … Justin Leonard will be making his Champions debut, while Davis Love III will make his Senior Players debut. Love III won the Players Championship 30 years ago. Love III is one of six World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field along with Langer, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: The Senior Open Championship, Auchterader, Scotland, July 21-24
–Field Level Media