Xander Schauffele defends his title against a host of the world's best players as the Rolex Series returns to Renaissance Club for the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open. Here are your five things to know.
Schauffele defends
Xander Schauffele earned his first Rolex Series title and third title in three weeks with a one shot victory in last year's Genesis Scottish Open, which was the first event to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR.
The American started the final round with birdies at the first two holes to double his overnight two-shot lead, but had to overcome an early wobble that saw him drop three shots from the sixth and fall one behind two-time DP World Tour winner Kurt Kitayama at the turn. He recovered with birdies at 14 and 16 to move into a two shot lead, and the 2020 Olympic Champion then closed with a bogey to seal a one-shot victory.
He now returns to Scotland again in great form, having not finished outside the top 25 in the nine events he's played since The PLAYERS Championship in March - which includes five top tens.
After two weeks off, the 29-year-old will be refreshed as he makes his third start in this tournament and hopeful of emulating previous success at Renaissance Club, having also finished in a tie for 10th here during his debut in 2021.
Return of the Rolex Series
The Genesis Scottish Open is the third of five Rolex Series events in the 2023 DP World Tour schedule and provides the ideal build-up to next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
The Rolex Series, one of the most important initiatives in the DP World Tour's history, has included Scotland’s national open since its inaugural year in 2017.
The opening two events of 2023 have already provided plenty of drama and two worthy champions, with Victor Perez and Rory McIlroy claiming maiden Rolex Series titles in January at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Hero Dubai Desert Classic respectively.
The Rolex Series will continue at the BMW PGA Championship in September before it heads to Dubai in November at the DP World Tour Championship – where players will battle it out to become the Race to Dubai Champion.
World's best assemble in Scotland
The world's best are once again at the Renaissance Club for the 41st edition of Genesis Scottish Open, the third Rolex Series event of the DP World Tour season.
Major Champions Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth all return to the East Lothian venue, and are joined by defending champion Xander Schauffele, multiple DP World Tour winners Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton, and top ten players Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa.
The 2023 Genesis Scottish Open field also includes fellow Major winners Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Justin Thomas and Wyndham Clark, European Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, 2015 champion Rickie Fowler, PGA TOUR winners Sam Burns, Im Sungjae and Séamus Power and Scotland’s number one, Robert MacIntyre.
Sustainability at the forefront
The Genesis Scottish Open is putting sustainability at the forefront this year, with a multitude of innovations across the week.
Among the activations on site, the DP World Tour's Green Drive will be back after the success at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, which resulted in 2,600 trees being planted and significant funds raised for Prostate Cancer UK.
The tournament is aiming to be as energy efficient as possible, utilising grid power in the build and then HVO fuelled generators during the event, and 46% of the courtesy car fleet will be electric.
A big professional golf first, there will be mains water on every tee available. This is part of the push to promote zero waste to landfill, where all food waste will be going to East Lothian Food Bank, and a reusable cup scheme will be in place to reduce plastic waste.
In a bid to involve the community, Golf Futures with two local schools will take place on Thursday and Friday, 120 kids attending on Friday as part of the get into golf initiative from the Golf Foundation, ande a beach clean on Wednesday will be held at 11.30am, in partnership with Marine Conservation Society, Ocean Tee, Stephen Gallacher Foundation and Scottish Seabird Centre. In addition, 70% of food will be locally sourced (within 100 miles).
Open Qualifying Series
The Genesis Scottish Open marks the third and final event on the DP World Tour in which three spots are up for grabs at the 151st Open Championship, being held from July 20-23.
Following the Made in Himmerland and Betfred British Masters, the Open Qualifying Series culminates at the Genesis Scottish Open, which presents the final chance players have to earn one of three spots that are available to those not already exempt.
The top three players not already exempt who make the cut will book their ticket to Royal Liverpool Golf Club for the final Major of the year. Last week runner-up Nacho Elvira, along with Kalle Samooja and Marc Warren, earned their place in the field, while a week earlier it was winner Daniel Hillier, Oliver Wilson and Gunner Wiebe (who follows in his father's footsteps with an appearance) who made it through.
Sami Välimäki, Christian Bezuidenhout, Haydn Barron, Alejandro Cañizares and Lee earned their places at Hoylake via the series at the Joburg Open and ISPS HANDA Australian Open respectively earlier this season.
