A star-studded field returns to The Renaissance Club for the second Rolex Series event of the season. Here are your five things to know
Return to The Renaissance Club
This week’s abrdn Scottish Open follows the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as the second Rolex Series event of the year. The Rolex Series features four premium events spread across key points in the global golfing calendar, each one enhanced by a prize fund of a minimum US$8million.
The tournament makes its return to The Renaissance Club for a fourth consecutive season, although the course setup itself is still relatively new to players, having undergone a number of changes following the record-breaking 2019 edition of the tournament.
And more changes are set to come: Recently, European Ryder Cup Captain Pádraig Harrington has been engaged by Renaissance Club as a ‘player consultant’ who will work with renowned architect Tom Doak on the continued development of the East Lothian golf course.
Star Studded Field
A world class field assembles for this week’s abrdn Scottish Open that includes four of the world’s top five players.
Among those players is World Number One Jon Rahm, who already boasts an impressive Rolex Series record of four victories in just 10 starts. It’s a record he’ll also be looking to add to this week as he makes his first start since claiming his first Major triumph at the U.S Open at Torrey Pines three weeks ago.
He is joined in the field by Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy, as well as Rolex Series winners Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood and Tommy Fleetwood – who finished as the runner-up here last year.
Several players, including Will Zalatoris, Scottie Scheffler, Billy Horschel, Ryan Palmer and Sam Burns, have all come over from America to make their abrdn Scottish Open debuts this week.
Rai defends
Aaron Rai fired a final round 64 before beating Tommy Fleetwood in a play-off to win the first Rolex Series event of his career at last year’s contest at The Renaissance Club.
Now, the Englishman makes his return this week with some recent form, finishing in a tie for 12th at last week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which followed a tie for 28th at the inaugural Scandinavian Mixed.
He gets his first round under way 1.30pm on Thursday alongside 2019 champion Bernd Wiesberger and 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari.
The Open qualification
With the final Major Championship of the year taking place next week, the race for a spot in this year’s field in The Open Championship comes to a head this week.
For three players , there is still a chance to make their way to Royal St.George’s with a good finish at the abrdn Scottish Open.
Under The Open Qualifying criteria, the first three players, not already exempt, who have made the cut in the 2021 abrdn Scottish Open will gain an exemption.
Charity Luechie House
Leuchie House has been named Official Charity of the 2021 abrdn Scottish Open..
As it celebrates its 10th anniversary as an independent charity, Leuchie House will benefit from a range of fundraising activities during tournament week, as some of the world’s leading golfers including U.S. Open Champion and World Number One Jon Rahm and Major winners Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas tee it up in North Berwick.
The fundraising will include a Birdie Pledge from title sponsor abrdn and the European Tour of £15 per birdie and £100 per eagle made across the four tournament days. It is part of the ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign which runs throughout 2021 under the umbrella of the European Tour’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, Golf for Good.
UNICEF will be the sole charitable beneficiary of the ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign across the entire European Tour season, but at the four Rolex Series events, nominated charities such as Leuchie House will benefit separately.
