The PGA Tour is prepared to co-sanction the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open this week, teaming up with the DP World Tour for a field of 156 golfers competing at the iconic Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. We get to see eight of the world’s top 10 ranked golfers attempt to navigate the links course, headlined by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Renaissance Club is a par 70 that contains three par 3s and three par 5s, relying on the coastal winds to serve as the biggest hazard against players this week. Greens are much bigger in surface area, comprised of fescue grass, which only runs 11.5 feet via Stimpmeter. The signature deep-walled sand bunkers and tall fescue in the two-and-a-half-inch rough create a much different, albeit challenging, course compared to recent events played on the PGA Tour.
With the fourth and final major taking place at Royal Liverpool next week at The Open, the Genesis Scottish Open provides a great litmus test for players to adapt to playing golf on a links course. There’s no shortage of names on this slate either, as Rory McIlroy, defending champion Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, and Viktor Hovland are set to tee off from Renaissance Club during Thursday’s opening round.
Ball striking and sharp irons will be crucial to succeed in wet, windy conditions, but there are other ways to produce winning scorecards at a venue such as the Renaissance Club. Let’s explore six of my favorite PGA DFS prospects to target when constructing lineups this week to help build a strong foundation in order to cash out a few contests on DraftKings and FanDuel by the end of the tournament.
Before we get into our Genesis Scottish Open DFS Picks and Targets, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Genesis Scottish Open selections this week.
DraftKings $50,000 Maximum Salary
Patrick Cantlay ($10,200)
During the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open, Patrick Cantlay wound up logging a T4 (-4) finish, saving his best effort for the final round, winding up -3-under-par. The 31-year-old Californian is still seeking his first outright win of the 2023 PGA Tour season, but he’s fully equipped to pop based on his versatile skillset. Renaissance Club is a difficult course to win, but Cantlay’s ball striking and irons and solid putter should keep him in contention. Cantlay ranks fifth in strokes gained tee-to-green, fourth off-the-tee, 21st approaching the green, and 22nd putting. Plus, he’s ranked first in total driving. Cantlay has five consecutive T30 finishes, including three T10s and a T5 in this recent span, so don’t hesitate to plug him in at a decent value in DraftKings lineups this week.
Tommy Fleetwood ($9,400)
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood is another golfer without an outright win this year, including his entire PGA Tour career. The 32-year-old joined Cantlay with a T4 finish at Renaissance Club in 2022, erasing a +3 first-round score with a -6-under-par scorecard in the final two rounds. Fleetwood has five T10s this season, including two in his past four events, but missing the cut at Travelers is a reason why we’re landing him at just $9,400 on DraftKings. The Englishman is a sharpshooter with his irons, solid with the putter. He totaled 15-24 birdies during his two-week stretch at the RBC Canadian Open and U.S. Open, brutally losing to Nick Taylor on a four-hole playoff. Fleetwood is due for an outright win, plus he’s comfortable playing at links courses, where he developed his game. At $9,400, Fleetwood is a priority add due to his high floor and high ceiling to match.
Robert MacIntyre ($7,400)
Scottish native, Robert MacIntyre, is one of 75 DP World Tour golfers competing in the Genesis Scottish Open this week. The 26-year-old Scot is going to feel comfortable playing links courses with the prevailing coastal winds, which already gives him a decisive edge. Plus, MacIntyre has recorded 14-20 birdies in four of his past five events on the DP World Tour. Yes, he missed the cut at this event last year, going +5 over par, but I strongly believe MacIntyre’s current form trumps his mishap from last season. At a cheap $7,400 salary, let’s invest in this salary-saving local, who aims to record his fourth T20 finish since June.
FanDuel $60,000 Maximum Salary
Tyrrell Hatton ($11,300)
We’ve seen some quality golf out of Tyrrell Hatton this year, logging finishes of T5, T15, T12, T3, and T27 entering the Genesis Scottish Open. Hatton went T24 here last year, only going under par in the first round at -2-under-par, but he’s one of the best iron players on the PGA Tour. He’s ranked third in total strokes gained, including eighth tee-to-green, 10th off-the-tee, 17th approaching the green, and fifth putting. Still not convinced? Hatton ranks 14th in total driving, 18th in scrambling, and 25th going for the green birdie or better percentage. Whether it’s his soft touch, precision with approaches, or ability to finish on the green, the 31-year-old Englishman warrants serious consideration in FanDuel lineups this week, despite the elevated salary.
Matt Fitzpatrick ($10,800)
I’m once again going with another Englishman who thrives on links-style courses such as Renaissance. Matt Fitzpatrick already has an outright win in 2023 at RBC Heritage, and his irons, along with strong putting prowess, give him an edge at Renaissance. Plus, he’s comfortable with this course. The 28-year-old is ranked 24th in strokes gained around the green, 18th in strokes gained putting, and 38th in tee-to-green. Scrambling is another strong piece of his game, ranked 17th, but the flat stick, ranked 11th in total putting, will generate enough birdies to label Fitzpatrick as an asset in FanDuel lineups this week.
Thomas Detry ($8,700)
It’s been a quiet stretch for Thomas Detry on the PGA Tour in 2023, but he returns to Renaissance Club, where he logged a T10 finish in 2022. The 30-year-old Belgian golfer has missed two consecutive cuts at events that saw plenty of birdies, so perhaps a more challenging links course fits his game better. Detry ranks 26th scrambling, 28th in hole outs, 15th in overall putting average, and 24th in one-putt percentage. Detry scores low on par 4s, which will be plentiful at Renaissance, along with ranking fourth in consecutive par 3 birdies made. Detry is cheaper than he should be due to a poor recent stretch, but I expect the slump to end this week, so make sure to insert him into your FanDuel lineups ahead of Thursday morning.
