To paraphrase Ron Burgundy, the Scottish Open is kind of a big deal.
In 2022, the tournament has a new sponsor, a new, elevated status, a monster field and a $1,440,000 first-place prize.
Formerly the abrdn Scottish Open, Genesis has taken over as title sponsor. The event, at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, is back as host site. For the first time, it’s co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour.
The field will be a split between members of both tours and competitors will earn FedEx Cup points — 500 to the winner — a first for a DP World Tour event.
What else do you need to know about the tournament?
1
The field is loaded
The tournament has announced that it’s the strongest field ever.
It starts with world No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, reigning Open Championship winner and No. 4 Collin Morikawa, reigning PGA Championship winner and No. 5 Justin Thomas, and reigning U.S. Open champion and No. 10 Matt Fitzpatrick.
Also in the field: No. 2 and 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, Players Championship winner No. 6 Cameron Smith, 2021 FedEx Cup champion and No. 7 Patrick Cantlay.
But wait, there’s more: No. 8 Viktor Hovland, No. 9 Sam Burns, No. 11 Xander Schauffele, No. 12 and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, No. 13 Will Zalatoris — who actually leads the DP World Tour Ranking due to his runner-up finishes in the past two majors — and 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.
The PGA Tour backs up the claim, reporting that “by field strength, the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open is set to be the strongest non-major in DP World Tour history.”
Game on.
2
LIV golfers will not be in the field. Or maybe they will.
Branden Grace celebrates after winning the 2022 LIV Golf Series Portland event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports)
Unless a last-minute appeal tilted things in their favor, LIV Golf Series participants would have been left on the sidelines.
Well, three LIV golfers in particular may have gotten a break. On Monday, suspensions imposed by the DP World Tour on Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding were temporarily stayed, opening the door for them to compete.
DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley added that “this is only a stay of the sanctions imposed, pending the hearing of the players’ appeal as to whether those sanctions were…
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