Hefty casualty list after two tough days in Genesis Scottish Open

Three of the four reigning major champions and leading home hope Bob MacIntyre headed the casualty list after two testing days in the $8 million Genesis Scottish Open in East Lothian.

Scottie Scheffler tees off on the second hole in the second round of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

When it first staged the Rolex Series event in 2019, The Renaissance Club was branded as being “too easy” but, helped by changes made in the interim, that’s no longer the case.

With the cut falling at three-over-par, a field that boasted 14 of the world’s top-15 players has been decimated heading into the final two rounds.

World No 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler bowed out on five-over, as did Collin Morikawa, who attributed the four rounds he played at the same venue 12 months ago to his victory the following week in The Open at Royal St George’s.

On ten-over, Justin Thomas, the PGA champion, was another big name to bow out early on Scotland’s Golf Coast, where a wind of around 25mph blew throughout the second round.

In total, seven of the 14 star names will now be heading early to St Andrews to prepare for next week’s 150th Open.

World No 8 Viktor Hovland (seven-over) missed out on his debut while there was also disappointment for US Open runner-up Will Zalatoris (five-over), BMW PGA champion Billy Horschel (five-over) and 2020 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (seven-over).

Illustrating the tough test on Scotand’s Golf Coast, the 14 topranked players were a collective 44-over par for the 36 holes.

US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick (three-under) was the odd one out among the current major champions, with world No 3 Jon Rahm also still standing on level-par.

Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele sits alongside Fitzpatrick after a best-of-the-day 65, with Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth both making it on level-par and Sam Burns and Cameron Smith scraping through on three-over.

Scheffler was bitterly disappointed over his early exit. “I finally got a good draw here – but I screwed it up,” said the American, who has won four times this year.

“That was the day where I was just like: What are you doing out here dude?’ But I still think my chances are pretty good for next week.”

As American Cameron Tringale reached the halfway stage holding a three-shot lead on seven-under, MacIntyre was another to bow out on five-over.