Summer in Full Swing: British Golf Takes Centre Stage

Golf Friday July 7, 2023 By: Harry Howes

Back to back weeks of golf on home soil in July


A mouth-watering summer of sport is well and truly underway and if you’re a fan of golf, you’re in for a treat over the next few weeks. That’s because we’ve got not one but two huge tournaments on British soil to look forward to.

First up, the Scottish Open returns to the Renaissance Club from 13th to 16th July, with eight of the world’s top 10 players signed up to take part. And if that’s not enough to get you excited, the fourth and final major of the year gets underway the following weekend as the 151st Open Championship takes place in Liverpool.

Rory McIlroy will be looking to continue his strong form as he targets his first Open title since 2014, which was the last time it was held at Royal Liverpool. But he’ll face stiff competition in both tournaments as he targets his first PGA Tour win of 2023.


The Open Championship


Who are the contenders?

With the majority of the world’s top 10 players set to appear at the Scottish Open, the standard will be incredibly high as the field look to get into the swing of things ahead of The Open the following weekend.

Xander Schauffele came out on top this time last year but he’ll be taken all the way by fellow American Scottie Scheffler, who currently sits top of the world rankings. Wyndham Clarke is also in good shape having won the US Open in June, as well as the Wells Fargo Championship.

Norwegian star Viktor Hovland tied for second with Scheffler in the PGA Championship before going on to win the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village. Elsewhere, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Jordan Spieth, who all sit in the top 10, will fancy their chances.

And with McIlroy expected to be among the frontrunners, a few other British golfers could make home advantage count. Matt Fitzpatrick won the RBC Heritage back in April, while Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose are all in line to play both tournaments.

Cameron Smith triumphed in The Open last year and while the Australian is expected to return again this year, he’s not scheduled to appear at the Scottish Open, as is the case with John Rahm.



Can Rory McIlroy win?

McIlroy has never won the Scottish Open so a maiden title north of the border will give him good momentum going into The Open a week later. The Northern Irishman remains one of the bookies’ favourites as he looks to improve on his third-place finish from last year.

Having come second to Clarke by just one shot in the US Open a few weeks ago, McIlroy is in strong form. He’s already triumphed in the Rolex Series this year, winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic back in January, while he was also tied for second alongside Harris English in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

McIlroy is targeting his first major win since 2014, where he triumphed in the PGA Championship a month after his first win at The Open. And he’ll be keen to impress once again as he looks to cement a spot in Europe’s Ryder Cup team later this year.


Engage Hospitality

As the best golfers in the world jet to the UK for a blockbuster couple of weeks, you can enjoy the action in style with a range of hospitality experiences at the Scottish Open.

A week later, The Open Championship takes place from Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd July. Experience the best hospitality golf has to offer, with on-course locations offering unique access to the players and a world-class range of food and drinks packages.

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