Niall Lyons Golf Betting Tips for the 2026 Scottish Open

Course - The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland. This is one of the easier links tracks you'll see on the DPWT. Even in 2020 when the wind and rain blew an absolute hooley over the weekend Aaron Rai and Tommy Fleetwood still managed 11 under par to fight it out in the playoff. In 2019 nineteen players finished 17 under par or better. In 2021 34 players made double figures under par. Despite plenty of fair renewals here where scoring has been relatively easy it remains a solid preparation for the big one next week. Last year scores weren't quite as low though with Gotterup winning at 15 under par.

Those at the top of the tee to green stats for the week have dominated leaderboards here down the years with Gotterup ranking 8th last year then MacIntyre ranking 4th in that stat the year prior. The previous two winners McIlroy and Schauffele have topped that statistic for the week. The ball striking part of that equation is most important and only if the weather gets poor should we see scrambling come to the fore.

There is little doubt the big names have dominated here and the last six winners have all won on the PGA Tour either before or after their win in Scotland. Mickelson, Fowler and Rose are another three to have triumphed at this event in the last eleven years so ignore the big names at your peril. Driving distance dominated proceedings last year and those who can bash the ball a fair distance do tend to have an advantage around here. McIlroy, MacIntyre, Schauffele and Gotterup take up the last four spots on the winners rota here and it is clear to see that links and wind specialists continue to dominate this event. 

Former Winners / Winning Score:

• 2025 - C.Gotterup (-15)
• 2024 - R.MacIntyre (-18)
• 2023 - R.McIlroy (-15)
• 2022 - X.Schauffele (-7)
• 2021 - Min Woo Lee (-18)
• 2020 - A.Rai (-11)
• 2019 - B.Wiesberger (-22)

Winners / Contenders Stats:

2026 Scottish Open Tips

TIP 1: 3pts WIN - M.Fitzpatrick @ 19/1 (Enhanced Win Market bet365)

It's a tough school this week given that so many appeal in this market and it's a task to reduce the staking plan to a half dozen. After a lot of deliberation my top selection goes the way of Matt Fitzpatrick. Since the lead into the Ryder Cup in 2025 where his participation was somewhat in doubt you can only argue that 2 or 3 players have outplayed him in the 10 months since.

When I say 'outplayed' he definitely hasn't been and there's a fair argument to suggest he has been the second best golfer in the world throughout this period. A win at the DP World Tour Championship was the catalyst for a tremendous year Stateside that has seen him pick up three victories at the Valspar, Heritage and finally the Zurich alongside his brother Alex.

Alex is indeed an interesting runner for this weeks event but I'll go with the world number 4 who has sandwiched a runner up and 4th placed finish either side of a top 25 in the US Open in the last month. Fitzpatrick is flying and must have a big chance of achieving something special over the next couple of weeks. It's difficult to ignore his form and double the price of McIlroy and 7pts bigger than Rahm doesn't look quite right given their respective form lines.

TIP 2: 1.5pts Each-Way - K.Reitan @ 50/1 (1/5 8) bet365

Kristoffer Reitan remains one of a small handful who have won their PGA Tour cards from the Race to Dubai rankings and gone on to be a big success. There is a lot of time to play out with many of those golfers to be fair but Reitan has taken to it like a duck to water. His win in the Nedbank last December was as sign of things to come and he really does look at home in the strongest of fields.

It was a case early in 2026 that he just couldn't put all parts of his game together on any given week but having finished 14th in the Cadillac at the beginning of May he went on the following week to land his maiden PGA Tour victory at Quail Hollow. The way he played those treacherous final few holes there with a slim lead was hugely impressive and I feel there is a lot more to come from this talented Norwegian.

He hits the ball a long way so should be well placed to score well around here. Hovland overcame the world number one a couple of weeks ago, Norway have just beaten Brazil to get into their first ever World Cup quarter final and Haaland sits joint top of the goalscoring charts with 7 goals at the time of writing. The nation is absolutely flying and who could rule out a Viking row on the 18th green come Sunday evening?

TIP 3: 1.25pts Each-Way - S.Lowry @ 60/1  (1/5 8) bet365

I don't think I can resist a tickle on Shane Lowry, another links specialist, who turns up here with early quotes of 66/1. The 2019 Open champion is a general 33/1-40/1 shot for next week and with a handful of big names missing from this weeks market I see no reason to believe why he should be a bigger price. It has been somewhat of a difficult year for Lowry who blew a huge chance in Dubai on the 72nd hole when he went into the water then let slide an even bigger opportunity at PGA National six weeks later. Since then results have not been up to scratch but his golf for the most part has been. 

For someone who hasn't had a top ten finish since the first week in March to still rank inside the top 20 on tour in strokes gained approach is an impressive feat. His short game has deserted him at various times over the last few months but a return to links turf should help that situation. 22nd last time out at the Travelers was a fair effort with a really solid long game but a misfiring putter. True links specialists go well here and Lowry can not be left unbacked at these prices. 

TIP 4: 1pt Each-Way - M.Penge @ 70/1 (1/5 8) bet365

Risks come attached to backing Marco Penge but I'll include a small wager on him this week in Scotland. Four rounds in the 60s last year saw him finish a very impressive runner up here alongside McIlroy and given the power in his game he is well placed to make it pay around the Renaissance once again. Penge has endured a really tough time since joining the PGA Tour having had long suffering effects from a viral infection he picked up in Dubai at the start of the year.

Sinus issues and vertigo have derailed his maiden campaign in the states and having missed the cut in the PGA Championship he announced he was taking a break. He missed the US Open and returned last week for the BMW International Open in Germany and finished a very credible 9th.

I'm a big buyer of Penge's stock over the next few years should he manage to stay fit and healthy and he should be buzzing from a return to the form last week. His health issues aren't fully over him but if we priced this event up in January he'd have been no bigger than a 33/1 shot. Risks attached as I saw but I'm prepared to take the chance.

TIP 5: 1pt Each-Way - A.Noren  80/1  (1/5 8) bet365

In 2016 Alexander Noren missed the cut in the Scottish Open before going onto finish 6th in the Open the following week. In 2019 his form on the PGA Tour was ordinary at best before finishing 11th at Portrush. In 2023 a missed cut in Scotland was followed by a top 25 at Royal Liverpool.

In 2024 two missed cuts in America were followed by 10th in the Scottish Open then 13th at Troon. The theme is here that generally his form in the lead into these two events has been irrelevant and he has almost always managed a good finish in either of the two links events. It's no different this year as to many other years given he has missed the cut in Canada, then at the US Open and finished 55th at the Travelers.

His iron play has taken a turn for the worse during this period. Regardless, he seems to find plenty for the links terrain and I'm happy to take a chance on someone who beat a field very similar field at Wentworth just less than a year ago. 

TIP 6: 0.75pt Each-Way - A.Ayora @ 125/1 (1/5 6) Spreadex

Finally I'll have a small wager on Angel Ayora. I backed him in the DP World Tour Championship last November at 50/1 and he finished 8th. That is my approach with the Spaniard who I can't really have at the short prices he is going off on the DPWT. He has posted many top 10 finishes now but hasn't had many opportunities going down the final hole. I feel he is capable of beating any given field on his day and I'd far rather try him at these sorts of prices in a tough field than row in at sub 20/1 in weaker affairs. 5th and 3rd his last two outings he has stepped it up a little and triple figure prices look worth supporting.