McIlroy’s return, big names & buckets of rain – Scottish Open preview

If nan 2024 Scottish Open gets anyplace adjacent to matching nan play of 12 months ago, we are successful for a treat.

It was a tourney settled by a changeable truthful outrageously bully it has merited its ain plaque.

Just complete 200 yards from nan greenish astatine The Renaissance Club successful East Lothian location is now a commemorative reminder of Rory McIlroy’s infinitesimal of brilliance.

Having birdied nan reliable 17th, nan Northern Irishman past arrowed a two-iron into a fierce upwind to wrong 10 feet of nan spread to group up a title-winning putt. It was a fitting finale to an epic conflict for glory pinch location favourite Robert MacIntyre.

While nan title for nan Claret Jug nan pursuing week astatine Hoylake became a convoy for Brian Harman, nan Scottish Open had viewers connected nan separator of their spot until nan last putt dropped.

A world-class section erstwhile again descends connected North Berwick for nan co-sanctioned PGA Tour and DP World Tour event, pinch defending champion McIlroy topping nan bill.

The heroics of his first triumph successful Scotland are of people a acold outcry from nan crestfallen McIlroy who was past seen connected a play people almost a period ago, erstwhile nan US Open was successful his grasp earlier a catastrophic decorativeness prolonged his 10-year awesome drought and allowed Bryson DeChambeau to snatch nan title.

McIlroy, nary alien to nan glare of nan spotlight, will person nan eyes of nan play world connected him connected his return to action, pinch The Open tantalisingly beckoning adjacent week.

The Scottish Open tees disconnected a fortnight of golfing nirvana. North Berwick connected Scotland’s eastbound seashore and Royal Troon, astir 100 miles distant connected nan west, will beryllium nan centre of nan beingness complete nan adjacent 2 weeks.

Six of nan world's apical 10, caller US PGA champion Xander Schauffele among them, are successful a stellar formed database astatine The Renaissance Club.

In a canny move by organisers, McIlroy is joined by MacIntyre and different Ryder Cup star, Viktor Hovland, successful a European ace grouping for Thursday and Friday.

And really astir Swedish sensation Ludvig Aberg, erstwhile Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, and erstwhile Open champion Collin Morikawa for different trio worthy following?

Boasting a $9m (£7m) prize fund, nan Scottish Open besides provides an perfect opportunity to acclimatise to nan intricacies and undulations of links play earlier The Open.

And past there’s nan weather. American visitors whitethorn good study a caller connection successful nan adjacent fewer days – 'drookit'. Rain – tons of it – is forecast. Mercifully for nan players, winds are expected to beryllium comparatively tame, astatine astir nan 10mph mark.

Whatever nan elements, an appreciative crowd awaits, arsenic acknowledged by 2022 Scottish Open victor Schauffele.

"Not that each fans don't admit golf, but there's a deeper appreciation here. They cognize what a bully changeable looks like," said nan American.

"It feels for illustration successful nan US, a fewer times we get a batch of rainfall and wind, nan people is beautiful empty.

"It could beryllium blowing 25mph and rainfall present and group will beryllium correct by your broadside successful shorts and T-shirt and loving each 2nd of it. That's nan appreciation they person for play and it's awesome to person fans deterioration nan upwind pinch you."

Fellow American Stewart Cink – nan 2009 Open champion – is moreover giving a elder awesome – nan Kaulig Companies Championship – a miss this week to alternatively tee it up astatine Renaissance.

"I conscionable emotion coming to Scotland and portion of maine thinks I should person been calved here," Cink, 51, told BBC Scotland.

"It’s very important to travel and play [before The Open]. Conditions are different, nan aerial treats nan shot differently, everything is conscionable a small different. You person to get your assemblage acclimated and its bully to get utilized to nan turf and nan onslaught and nan region control."

After coming truthful agonisingly adjacent 12 months ago, MacIntyre is "going location to win" this year.

The 27-year-old is now a PGA Tour champion, having memorably triumphed astatine nan Canadian Open past period pinch dada Dougie connected nan bag, but nan Oban autochthonal relishes fewer things much than playing successful beforehand of a location crowd.

He is not nan only Scot making a superior impact. Ewen Ferguson heads to East Lothian caller from winning nan DP World Tour’s BMW International Open connected Sunday, his first title successful 2 years.

That occurrence has earned Ferguson, 28, introduction to The Open, arsenic good arsenic an eye-catching grouping alongside Jordan Spieth and Matt Fitzpatrick for nan first 2 days successful North Berwick.

There are 2 further Royal Troon spots up for grabs this week.

In all, location are 7 Scots successful nan Scottish Open field. Might 1 of them reign successful nan rainfall to go nan first location victor since Colin Montgomerie 25 years ago?