Jon Rahm is tuning up for Major victory number 2 this week as he plays in the 49th Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland.

What a year the 121st U.S. Open Champion has had. He finished tied for 5th at the Masters, tied for 8th at the PGA Championship, he was leading the Memorial by 6 strokes after Saturday’s round when he was informed that he tested positive for the Cornavirus, and had to withdraw. An emotional Rahm complied and had to quarantine for 10 days before 2 negative tests allowed him to get back to practicing on Saturday, six days before the U.S. started. He used that time wisely and sank a 21 foot putt on 17 at Torrey Pines for birdie and the winning putt from 20 feet on 18 to defeat Louis Oosthuizen by a shot and capture his first major championship.

Rahm is the 7-1 favorite at Scotland and the 9-1 favorite at the 149th Open Championship next week at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England on the eastern central coast of England. Rory is 11-1 next week, followed by, Dustin Johnson at 12-1, Koepka at 14-1, Spieth at 18-1, DeChambeau at 20-1, Schauffele at 20-1, Justin Thomas at 22-1, Louis at 25-1, and Collin Morikawa at 28-1.

Interestingly in the field next week, the highest earning players not to win the Open, are Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar. Garcia is at 500-1, and Fowler is 600-1.

For this week’s warm up for the Open, Schauffele and Morikawa are 12-1, Rory is 14-1 and JT is 16-1. Tyrrell Hatton is 22-1 and Matthew Fitzpatrick is 28-1. Young Americans Will Zalatoris and Sam Burns are at 40-1, and South African Branden Grace is at 41-1.

So, a very nice field this week.

The Renaissance Club is a 7,293 yard, par 71. No.2 is a 493 yard par 4, No.3 is a 600 yard, par 5, No. 10 is a 594 yard, par 5, No.15 is a 488 yard, par 4, No.17 is a 203 yard, par 3, and No. 18 is a 483 yard, par 4. Like the Open Championship next week, there are a lot of circular deep bunkers on the course. It’s tremendous preparation for Royal St. George’s, which should really test the players next week. The last Open Championship at Royal St. George’s, the 140th played in 2011, was won by Darren Clarke at -5. Dustin and Phil finished tied for 2nd at -2.

Key tee times tomorrow are,

2 AM CT, Schauffele, Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood

2:10 AM CT, Lee Westwood, Robert MacIntyre, Collin Morikawa

2:20 AM CT, Billy Horschel, Danny Willett, Matthew Fitzpatrick

2:30 AM CT, Henrik Stenson, Graeme McDowell, Matthias Schwab, former Vanderbilt player who’s done pretty well on Euro Tour.

7 AM CT, more reasonable for watching, Rory, Rahm, Justin T.

7:10 AM CT, Martin Kaymer, Will Zalatoris, Victor Perez.

The defending champion is Aaron Rai from England. He won the Scottish at the Renaissance Club last October, 2020. Rickie Fowler won in 2015, Justin Rose in 2014, Phil in 2013 before his Open Championship victory the next week at Muirfield, the 142nd edition, Martin Kaymer won in 2009 and Graeme McDowell won in 2008. Fowler, Rose and Mickelson are not in the field while Kaymer and McDowell are.

Weather

Thursday, 64, partly sunny, wind S 8 MPH.

Friday, 61, 50% chance of showers, wind NE 8.

Saturday, 63, 59% showers, wind ENE 9.

Sunday, 64, Light rain, 80%, wind, ESE 9.

TV

All on Golf Channel, all times Central

Thursday, 6:30 AM-12 PM.

Friday, 6:30 AM-12 PM.

Saturday, 6 AM-11:30 AM.

Sunday, 6-11:30 AM.

Winner

I’m going to go out on a limb and pick the 2008 champion, the 41 year old from Portrush Northern Ireland, by way of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He’a won 4 times on the PGA Tour, including the 100th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2010, and has won 11 times on the European Tour with his last victory coming at the Saudi International in February of 2020. Just want to go with somebody different who is highly capable in Scotland on his semi-native soli. Give me,

Graeme McDowell