Why Genesis Scottish Open has major feel to it - minus LIV players

It feels like a major, even though it’s technically just a warm up for one. Ever since it has occupied a coveted pre-Open Championship slot on the schedule, the field for the Genesis Scottish Open has never been shabby. Now, though, it really does merit envious glances from around the world.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele has a laugh with someone at The Renaissance Club. Picture: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

Eight of the world’s top ten are in town - between Gullane and North Berwick, to be precise - for this year’s edition at The Renaissance Club, where the action gets underway on Thursday and, over four days on Scotland’s Golf Coast, golf fans get to see exactly why the game’s best players get such a massive kick out of this particular week.

“It’s always a challenge and something I enjoy,” said American Xander Schauffele, the defending champion in the $9 million Rolex Series event, of playing golf in Scotland. “Coming over here and learning to play links, playing the ball down in severe wind and bunkers and taking your medicine when you do get in the bunker and things of that nature is something I enjoy doing.”

Jordan Spieth, who tied for tenth 12 months ago after looking as though he was going to be the man to beat until running up a double-bogey 5 at the 14th, is equally excited about a week that takes most PGA Tour players out of their comfort zone, though a good Open record that, of course, includes a win at Royal Birkdale in 2017 suggests it brings out the best in him.

Rory McIlroy walks on the course with his caddie Harry Diamond and coach Michael Bannon prior to the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

“It's one of my favourite places in the world to play golf,” admitted Spieth. “You can't even count on two hands how many phenomenal golf courses there are. There's four or five in a five-mile radius here in this part of the country.”

After playing his second round last year, Max Homa popped along the coast to North Berwick for an impromptu game. Rickie Fowler, the 2015 winner, was there on Monday before Spieth and Justin Thomas were part of a group out playing 18 holes on the West Links on Tuesday night.

“I think the traditional links are more raw but have less craziness, less path dependence. They are more authentic. I prefer traditional links,” admitted Spieth but, at the same time, dished out praise for the Tom Doak-designed modern links staging this week’s DP World Tour and PGA Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

“I've also really enjoyed playing this golf course,” added the Texas. "You can hit some shots that end up in places where you are this far off and the width could be significantly different. So there's some balance, but we get 72 holes to play and the ones that are playing best end up in the best spot.”

Scottie Scheffler pictured during the Genesis Scottish Open Pro Am at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

While it may have been taken apart in soft and benign conditions when it took over as the host venue in 2019 - 22-under-par was the winning total on that occasion - it was a different story last year. With the prevailing west wind blowing, seven-under-par got the job done for Schauffele and the par-4 18th played as the toughest closing hole all year on the PGA Tour.

“Yeah, it was really windy,” recalled Schauffele. “You have to position yourself correctly around the property. You just know some fairways are almost impossible to hit and some greens are impossible to hit. You have to be willing to hit some uncomfortable shots through the course of the week.”

Scottie Scheffler tees up in the event as the world No 1 for the second year running, suffering a rare missed cut 12 months ago but proving a perennial title challenger this year. In 15 starts in 2023, his worst finish has been a tie for 12th in the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.

“It's definitely some of the most consistent golf that I've played,” he said of a run of form that has yielded wins in both WM Phoenix Open and The Players Championship. “I would obviously like to win more. But, if I win eight times, I want to win nine. If I win nine, I want to win ten. Golf is one of those games that you're never really satisfied. But I'm definitely very proud of how I've played so far this year.”

Nine years ago, Rory McIlroy played in this event at Royal Aberdeen before winning The Open at Royal Liverpool. Ahead of the Claret Jug event’s return to Hoylake next week, the Northern Irishman has restored the Scottish Open to his schedule after skipping it last year.

“Last year we had the JP McManus Pro-Am, so I felt like even though it wasn't completely competitive and serious, I felt like, I guess easing my way back into competitive golf before The Open at St Andrews,” said McIlroy, who came up just short on that occasion to get back to winning ways in the majors.

“This year, having three weeks off going into The Open probably wasn't going to be the ideal prep. So get some competitive golf under my belt going into Hoylake but, also, it's now a co-sanctioned event and I’m leading the Race to Dubai and up there in the FedExCup. It's also an opportunity to gain some points on both sides of the pond and trying to win the season-long titles on both sides again. I feel like I'm sort of killing a few birds with one stone this week.”

For 67 players in the 156-man field, it’s their final throw at a stone as far as playing in the season’s final major is concerned, with the top three who are not already exempt securing trips down to Merseyside next week. With that as a sideshow to so many of the world’s top players – the only ones missing are Masters champion Jon Rahm and the LIV Golf brigade – battling it out for the main prize, it really is a tantalising tournament and, even better, it’s on Scottish soil.