Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open preview, picks & analysis

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements

MOST of us could not quite get our heads around the logic behind staging the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond. Of course it is a fabulously beautiful golf course, nestled amid some of the best scenery you will find anywhere on the planet.

But, held just a week before The Open, what was the relevance of staging this tournament on a parkland course, where players seldom got much roll on the ball, never suffered bad bounces on the immaculately manicured fairways and hardly ever experienced any wind? In other words, Loch Lomond was everything that venues for The Open were not.

Surely it would make far more sense to give players a competitive taste of what they could expect to face the following week? Well, the message took an awful long time to get through, but it finally has and that is why so many of the world's top golfers will be at Gullane Golf Club - a course that many believe should be on the Open rota. If the wind blows, you can be sure that the field will know they have been in a contest.

Gullane - a true links test will host this years Scottish Open 

It is a traditional links course and it has attracted a world-class field, headed by Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman is still ranked as the world's best golfer, but he is now being chased hard by Jordan Spieth. McIlroy played better than anybody else in the US Open at Chambers Bay, but putted really poorly. He will be happy with the way he is striking the ball (his driving was brilliant), but with the double greens at St Andrews on the horizon he knows that he needs to get the short stick sorted out. And if he does, then he could well disappear into said horizon.

He will be joined at Gullane by Justin Rose, the defending champion and a golfer who is enjoying a fabulous season. Rose is one of the most versatile golfers in the world and will relish the challenge. It would be a huge surprise if he does not contend.

Phil Mickelson, who won the Scottish Open ahead of his victory in The Open at Muirfield in 2013, will be hoping that history can repeat itself, and he is not the only American in the field. Also playing are Rickie Fowler, who had a shocking time at Chambers Bay, Matt Kuchar and Jimmy Walker. Fowler, of course, had a great run in the majors in 2014, finishing in the top five in all of them. He won the Players Championship earlier this season, but has been pretty inconsistent in 2015.

If you are looking for each-way bets at Gullane, you could do an awful lot worse than consider Shane Lowry, Richie Ramsay, Chris Wood and Marc Warren, all of whom love links golf, and all of whom are used to playing in tough, windy conditions. I have a sneaky feeling that Warren is going to perform very well at St Andrews.

Look out, too, for Tommy Fleetwood, who continues to climb the world rankings and is surely ready to win again. Fleetwood learnt to play the game on the links courses in and around Southport. He can move the ball both ways at will and knows how to keep it below the wind.

Gullane could be ready to host one of the great Scottish Opens and, for somebody, there could be a last-gasp entry to The Open.

Scottish Open Betting Picks 

To win: Justin Rose. Gullane is made for Rose

Each way: Rory McIlroy. Would probably prefer to contend than win

Each way: Tommy Fleetwood. Will love this course

Scottish Open Fantasy Picks

Justin Rose. In the form of his life

Rory McIlroy. Needs to start holing some putts

Tommy Fleetwood. Was born to play on links courses

Chris Wood. Confidence sky-high again

Shane Lowry. The worse the weather, the better Lowry plays

Francesco Molinari. Europe's Mr Consistency

Marc Warren. The Scot would love to win his home Open

Richie Ramsay. Has done a lot of growing up

Alexander Levy. Frenchman who enjoys tough courses

Victor Dubuisson. Due a good week