Nexo Championship 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

It is another big week for Scottish golf as the Nexo Championship heads to Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire. Some eyebrows will be raised at the DP World Tour’s choice of venue but after a break following The Open, this is the start of an important few weeks for several Ryder Cup hopefuls. 

After this week there are just two more counting events before Luke Donald confirms his team to face the USA at Bethpage - the Danish Championship and the British Masters at The Belfry. And that means that those on the periphery need to stake their claims soon.

I would love to see Donald taking a couple of risks and, to that end, Marco Penge and Kristoffer Reitan fit the bill perfectly. 

It is hard to believe that Penge almost lost his card last season. It has clearly provided him with precisely the wake-up call he required because he has taken his game to the next level in 2025, winning the Hainan Classic, finishing tied second at the Scottish Open and third at the South African Open. He hits the ball a country mile and has exactly the right personality to thrive under the sort of pressure that the Ryder Cup brings.

And if you were looking for the ideal fourball partner then surely Reitan is your man. He is a golfer who makes birdies for fun and has played some sensational golf this year, winning the Soudal Open with a final round of 62 and finishing tied second at the Austrian Open with a breathtaking closing 18 holes of 60.

They are fourth and fifth respectively in the Race to Dubai and must surely be in Donald’s thoughts, especially if they perform well again this week.

Clearly, the galleries will be hoping for a Scottish winner. Connor Syme and Calum Hill - who have both triumphed on the Race to Dubai this season - will join fellow Scots Ewen Ferguson, Richie Ramsay and Grant Forrest as a star-studded field heads to the Aberdeenshire coastline.

Richard Mansell birdied the last to win the Porsche Singapore Classic on his 103rd start in March, while Penge completed a lifelong dream with a composed victory at the 2025 Hainan Classic in China a month later.

Rafa Cabrera Bello will be hoping for more success in Scotland having won his maiden Rolex Series title in 2017 at Dundonald Links, and he is joined by fellow Spaniards Eugenio Chacarra and Nacho Elvira. 

Ferguson has three DP World Tour titles to his name while Syme joined the winner’s circle for the first time at the KLM Open and the pair are excited to return home for the Scottish Championship which appears on the Race to Dubai schedule after a five-year hiatus.

"It’s fantastic to see the Scottish Championship return to the DP World Tour schedule and I can’t wait to tee it up in front of the home crowds," said Ferguson.

"DP World Tour events in Scotland are always special for me and I’m very excited to see friends and family lining the fairways to cheer me on."

Syme added: "We always receive such incredible support whenever and wherever we play in Scotland, and I know we are all looking forward to playing in front of Scottish fans at a spectacular links venue in August."

Cabrera Bello won Scotland’s national open in 2017, and he is hoping for more success on the Aberdeenshire coastline later this year.

"Playing golf in Scotland is always special and I’m excited to play links golf again at the Scottish Championship," said Cabrera Bello. "I have very fond memories from my win in 2017 and I can’t wait to return this year."

Chacarra claimed his breakthrough victory at the Hero Indian Open in March, continuing his impressive transition to the professional ranks, while Elvira picked up his second DP World Tour title at the Soudal Open last season.

Tournament Winners:

This is the first time the event has been staged since 2020, when it was won by Spain’s Adrian Otaegui.

The Course:

Trump International is a modern links course, featuring lots of dunes, rolling fairways, well-placed bunkers and some fierce rough. It is a par 72 measuring 7,428 yards.

Form Guide:

With so much on the line, Kristoffer Reitan is going to be giving it everything - and it could be thrilling to watch.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $2.75m, with 3,500 Race to Dubai and 1,000 Ryder Cup points on offer to the winner.

How to Watch:

Thursday, August 7, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Friday, August 8, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Saturday, August 9, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Sunday, August 10, Sky Sports Golf, midday.

To Win:

Kristoffer Reitan. Thrilling talent

Each Way:

Eugenio Chacarra. Has every shot in the book

Five to Follow:

Kristoffer Reitan. Has no fear

Eugenio Chacarra. Stunning short game

Marco Penge. Big, big hitter

Ewen Ferguson. Home favourite

Rafa Cabrera Bello. Looking for something