Scottish Open: Steve Palmer's betting preview, lowdown & TV details

TV: Sky Sports Golf, 10.30am Thursday

The Scottish Open is the final chance for players to hone their game in a competitive links environment before the Open Championship, the final Major of the season, which starts next week.

Rory McIlroy snubbed last week's Irish Open, opting for The Renaissance Club instead, while Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler provide some top-class American opposition at a course which is little more than a decade old. Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Open champ, again employs a Scottish Open warm-up.

Whether Renaissance, a modern, quirky links, lacking the history and purity of those used for Opens, is better preparation than Lahinch was last week is open to serious question. Punters, though, need not worry themselves with that – distracted market-leaders may all have more than one eye on next week and look opposable in North Berwick.

Palmer's top tip
Haotong Li 35-1

The key attribute for competing at The Renaissance Club over the next four days may be a sharp short game given the tricky undulating greens. Haotong Li is better equipped than most for the extreme test of chipping and putting.

Li is slowly but surely becoming a world-class player capable of winning the biggest prizes in the sport, a thrilling story which should invigorate golf in Asia over the next decade, and the journey to superstardom can continue with Scottish Open glory.

Li has shown a liking for links golf, most famously when firing a sensational final-round 63 to finish third in the 2017 Open at Birkdale, and a closing 66 for fifth place in the Dunhill Links Championship last year further underlined his growing comfort on that type of terrain.

The pride of China, who won his national Open in 2016 for his European Tour breakthrough, beat McIlroy in a duel for the 2018 Dubai Desert Classic title and nobody in this field will frighten him. Li has performed solidly in the first three Majors of the season – 43-36-52 – and a Sunday 66 for 15th place in the Irish Open last week was an ideal links warm-up for the Scottish.

Plenty of rain has been falling in North Berwick, with more in the forecast, so Renaissance is threatening to become a slog for short-hitters. Li has matured into a formidable athlete capable of huge drives and everything points to the gifted 23-year-old making merry at this new venue.

Back Haotong Li with bet365

Next best
Jorge Campillo 55-1

An excellent amateur career meant Jorge Campillo was expected to make immediate waves in the pro ranks, but it is only recently, in his early-30s, that the Spaniard has blossomed. He seems to have fully settled on the European Tour, manages his game superbly, and is banking healthy cheques on a regular basis.

Campillo won his maiden Tour title in the Hassan Trophy at the end of April, a victory which had been coming. He was runner-up twice in March – Oman and Qatar – then third in the Indian Open before finally knocking the door down. This rock-solid all-rounder followed up with third place in the China Open and in the GolfSixes alongside Nacho Elvira.

Campillo was 15th in the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama the week before last, then closed with a 66 for seventh place in Ireland on Sunday, finishing only four shots behind his triumphant compatriot Jon Rahm. With the tools to tame Renaissance, there is plenty of juice in the Campillo price. Like Li, he still has maximum hunger for regulation silverware and will not yet let his mind wander to Royal Portrush.

Other selections
Paul Waring 90-1
Branden Grace 70-1
Grant Forrest 150-1

Paul Waring booked a late ticket to the Open with a seventh-place finish at Lahinch on Sunday and the Birkenhead boy performed well at Portrush in the 2012 Irish Open. He is entitled to be dreaming about the Claret Jug, but is too canny a character to let the Open hinder his chances of contending at The Renaissance Club. A second European Tour title and a Rolex Series pay cheque of more than a million euros is enough to keep Waring focused on this week's assignment.

Waring has been as bright as a button this term, finishing sixth in Abu Dhabi, third in Dubai, sixth in the British Masters on a links track, runner-up alongside Tom Lewis in the GolfSixes, then, like Campillo, just four shots shy of Rahm in Ireland.

The formbook points to Li, Campillo and Waring, but Branden Grace is a more speculative selection based upon his proud history of destroying links courses. Grace has been out of sorts, missing the cut by a couple of shots in his two most recent outings (Memorial and US Open), but the South African ace is an eight-time European Tour champion who loves links combat.

Grace has won two European Tour events on Links terrain, including the 2012 Dunhill in Scotland, and his lone US Tour victory came at the Harbour Town Links. He was runner-up at Castle Stuart in the 2013 Scottish Open and set the record for the lowest round in a Major with a 62 in the 2017 Open at Birkdale. He has had a Scottish caddie on his bag since January – Craig Connelly – and Renaissance may provide a literal renaissance for the slightly faltering career of a former world number ten.

Complete a five-pronged attack with Grant Forrest, who finished alone in 14th place in the Irish Open last week, providing further evidence of his growing comfort on the European Tour. Forrest, a links natural who lives in North Berwick and knows Renaissance better than most, finished second in the Open Final Qualifying event at this track in 2017. He carded rounds of 67 and 69 to finish just a shot shy of the winner.

Forrest impressed on the Challenge Tour last season, has made a strong start to life in the higher grade, and the local hero is good enough to give the galleries the ultimate result on Sunday. A twoball alongside Rahm was a tough draw for Forrest on Sunday, but he handled the pressure well, carding a 68, and appears to have an extremely bright future.

Others to note
Robert MacIntyre
The Scottish left-hander has already finished second twice in his European Tour rookie season, including on a links in the British Masters. He tied for tenth in the 2017 Open qualifier at Renaissance and could enter the equation.

Victor Perez
The Frenchman also tied for tenth in the Renaissance Open qualifier and has since gone on to establish himself on the European Tour. He tied for 15th in the British Masters in May, sparkled early at Valderrama, and could go well this week at a big price.

Thomas Detry
The Belgian youngster, a World Cup winner alongside Thomas Pieters, looks destined for European Tour glory and finishes of eighth at Valderrama and 23rd at Lahinch hint that he may be peaking for a Renaissance title tilt.

Tyrrell Hatton
The angry ant of the European Tour played poorly on an ideal track in the Irish Open last week, but he closed with an eagle and could bolster his superb links record at Renaissance.

Matt Fitzpatrick
The Sheffield lad lost a playoff for the BMW International before flopping at Valderrama last time out. Renaissance would be a decent layout for him in fine weather, but heavy showers have put pressure on this short driver, who needs plenty of run on the fairways to be seen to best effect.

Bernd Wiesberger
The Austrian giant won the Made In Denmark at the end of May and tied for second in the Irish Open on Sunday. He is hitting his ball with great authority and can contend again this week.

Staking plan
H Li
2pts each-way 35-1 bet365
J Campillo
1.5pts each-way 55-1 Betfred
P Waring
1pt each-way 90-1 Sky Bet
B Grace
1pt each-way 70-1 Betfred
G Forrest
0.5pt each-way 150-1 Sky Bet

The lowdown

Course The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
Prize money €6.24m (€1.034m to the winner)
Length 7,136 yards
Par 71
Field 156
Course records - 18 holes 66 Sam Locke (2017 Open Championship Final Qualifying)

When to bet By 7.30am Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports from 10.30am Thursday

Last week - Irish Open 1 J Rahm (8-1), T2 A Sullivan (70-1), B Wiesberger (50-1), T4 R Cabrera-Bello (28-1), E Pepperell (40-1), R Rock (150-1), T7 J Campillo (66-1), P Waring (125-1)

Course overview The Scottish Open has moved two miles east, from Gullane to The Renaissance Club, a luxury venue which was opened in April, 2008, designed by American Tom Doak. Three holes run directly along the Firth of Forth, but this is not a pure links test, with some trees in strategic fairway and greenside positions, and fairly flat land. Heavily contoured greens are the main defence of the course, while deep rough is waiting to punish the seriously errant. The only course form for punters to study is the 2017 Open Championship Final Qualifying event which was staged there, which was won by Sam Locke, with Grant Forrest in second. The track has five par-threes, with a pair of par-fives on each nine

Story of last year Brandon Stone carded a sensational final-round 60 at Gullane to romp to a four-shot success

Weather forecast Showers are expected for the opening two days, before a sunny weekend. Light breezes throughout

Type of player suited to the challenge The European Tour stars should make fairly comfortable passage from tee to green in calm weather, especially given heavy rain is set to soften the track, but the undulating dancefloors demand silky short-game skills

Key attribute Touch

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