The two top-ranked players in the world took different paths this week in Scotland. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open in 2023 and was runner-up a year ago, is off to another strong start at the Renaissance Club and heads into the weekend with a share of the lead at nine under.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler seemed to have cracked the code on links golf when he won the British Open Championship last year, but he took a step back on Friday, shooting a 2-over 72 to fall to even par. Missed the cut, ending streak of 78 consecutive weekend appearances. It also ended Scheffler’s incredible streak of 37 straight top 25s, but he won’t have the chance to make a run for the weekend, instead heading to Royal Birkdale to begin preparations for next week’s British Open.
While Scheffler wonders what happened this week in North Berwick, McIlroy will now spend the weekend chasing wins along the Scottish coast. McIlroy got off to a strong start in the second round, making four birdies in his first eight holes and quickly reaching nine under par.
It looked like McIlroy would pull away heading into the weekend, but he couldn’t carry that momentum into the second nine, stuck on the backside with one birdie and one bogey, and remained tied for the lead with Jordan Smith and Tom Kim.
McIlroy didn’t play much this summer, choosing to move across the pond to focus on preparing for the British Open rather than playing for the Travelers after a disappointing finish at the US Open. He spent plenty of time at Royal Birkdale, following a similar preparation plan he did to win his second green jacket at Augusta National, and that time readjusting to links golf is certainly paying off this week.
McIlroy will have to fend off numerous challengers if he is to claim his second Scottish Open title and 31st career PGA Tour victory. At the top of that group is Chris Gotterup, the guy who beat him at Renaissance Club last year and just won last week, and local favorite and 2024 champion Robert McIntyre.
leader
T1. Rory McIlroy, Tom Kim, Jordan Smith (-9): Joining McIlroy at the top is British player Smith, who shot a seven-under 63 in the morning in this week’s lower rounds to move to the top of the leaderboard. Smith made 10 of 16 and had one top-10 finish (third at Valspar) in his first full season on the PGA Tour, but he will be surrounded by heavy hitters in Saturday’s final draw.
Kim is also part of the lead, starting to turn a corner in her game and is a threat given her strong history in this event and on linked courses in general. Kim finished third at the U.S. Open last month on the links-style course at Sinek Hills and finished in the top 20 in all four starts, including third and T6 at the Scottish Open.
weekend candidates
T4. Matt Fitzpatrick, Minwoo Lee (-8)
T6. Robert McIntyre, Chris Gottarp, and 5 others (-7)
T13. Windham Clark, Nicolai Hojgaard, and 3 others (-6)
T18. Ryan Gerrard, Patrick Reed, and 5 others (-5)
T25. Justin Thomas and 10 others (-4)
Although the wind finally picked up a bit on Friday afternoon, the scoring conditions were excellent and the players were able to make birdies and secure a spot on the leaderboard behind the leading trio. Fitzpatrick continues to play great golf and will be a serious threat to McIlroy, not only being used to links golf but also being one of the hottest players in the sport. Lee is one spot away from joining Fitzpatrick in the lead thanks to a strong back nine, and his ability to rack up birdies will make him dangerous on the weekend if the scoring situation continues to be positive.
McIntyre and Gottarup were unable to maintain the pace of McIlroy in the marquee group for the first two days, but at seven under, they still have a solid chance of winning a second Scottish Open. Gotterup is riding high after picking up his fifth win in a year last week, while McIntyre, playing at home, is undoubtedly the most popular player on the course.
Clark, the U.S. Open champion who has been playing well over the past two months, is also in the running. Hojgaard has been a bit quiet of late, but the hard-hitting Dane is lurking around the top 10 again heading into the weekend. Reid and Thomas are two players hoping to get some form into the British Open this week, and while they’re off to a good start, they’ll need to find a special round sometime this weekend to contribute to a win.
Notable players who missed out
- Harris English (-1)
- Ludwig Oberg (-1)
- Patrick Cantlay (-1)
- Scotty Scheffler (E)
- Brooks Koepka (E)
- Shane Lowry (E)
- Alex Fitzpatrick (+1)
- Xander Schauffele (+3)
If misfortune loves company, Scheffler has plenty of it in Scotland this week. A number of top stars are set to leave North Berwick early for Royal Birkdale, two days earlier than expected. Schauffele’s streak of 72 consecutive tournament appearances came to an end in January, but his disappointing result in Scotland, where he finished just three overs, means his streak of 13 consecutive tournament appearances will come to an end. Cantlay was tied for the lead after the first round, but faltered in the final stages, finishing with a 4-over 74, one spot short of the cut line. Koepka was similarly cornered after the first round, but shot a 74 of his own to finish at even par.
Updated odds and picks for 2026 Scottish Open
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook
- Rory McIlroy (2-1)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (11/2)
- Tom Kim (2/15)
- Jordan Smith (10-1)
- Lee Min Woo (12-1)
- Chris Gotterup (13-1)
- Robert McIntyre (15-1)
- Windham Clark (22-1)
McIlroy is the overwhelming favorite to win at this point, and rightly so. He’s dialed in with the irons and rolls the rocks beautifully on the Renaissance Club greens, so I’d pick him to win at this point. From a value standpoint, McIntyre and Gottarup are two plays that would have been mine a little earlier. Gotterup is clearly in great shape and loves links golf, and although McIntyre hasn’t been in top form this year, he always shows up at his best at the Home Open.
