2026 Scottish Open Best Bets: Ginger Joe’s Squad

1. Tyrrell Hatton (+3000)

First up in my squad for the Scottish Open is Tyrrell Hatton, one of my favourite players to back when his game is in full flow. In fact, he is already firmly on my radar for The Open next week as well.

I think he is an excellent fit for both courses, so it comes as no surprise to see him making my squad this week. Those who follow my previews will know I’ve said plenty of times that, at his best, Hatton has one of the strongest all-round games in world golf.

The obvious concern is always his temperament. When things start going against him, he can completely lose his head. That said, there is another side to it. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll notice he often channels that frustration into something positive.

He has a fantastic ability to bounce back with birdies after dropping shots. The problem comes when one bogey turns into two, and then another mistake follows. That’s usually when the frustration boils over and starts affecting the rest of his game.

From a golfing perspective though, he is absolutely tailor made for this sort of test. I’ve always said Hatton drives the ball as though it’s on a string. He produces a quality ball flight, rarely strays too far offline, and gives himself so many opportunities by playing from the fairway.

His iron play is pretty much the same. When he’s striking it well, he is incredibly straight and consistent, and that’s the biggest reason he has enjoyed success on so many different types of golf courses.

Just look at where he’s won. Wentworth, St Andrews, Bay Hill, Emirates Golf Club and Valderrama are all demanding layouts that reward quality ball striking, patience and course management. You don’t win at venues like those unless your long game is of the highest standard, and Hatton has proved time and again that it is.

One thing that often gets overlooked is that, despite his fiery personality, he generally handles contention remarkably well. When he’s in the hunt on a Sunday, he doesn’t tend to shy away from the moment. If anything, he seems to embrace it, keeps attacking and often produces some of his best golf under pressure.

I really like his chances this week, and I like his chances at Royal Birkdale next week too. This feels like the ideal time of year to side with Tyrrell Hatton, and if he arrives with his game in good order, I think he’ll take plenty of beating.

2. Viktor Hovland (+3500)

Viktor Hovland looks like a player who has finally rediscovered his best golf, and hopefully this is the start of a sustained return to form. The signs have been there for a few weeks now.

He kicked things off with a third-place finish at the RBC Canadian Open. Then, he missed the cut at the US Open, which doesn’t concern me too much given the nature of that test. More importantly, Hovland reminded everyone just how good he is by winning the Travelers Championship, beating Scottie Scheffler in a playoff a week later.

That’s exactly where Viktor Hovland belongs. A couple of years ago, he looked like the player most likely to challenge Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler for the top spots in world golf, so we know the level he’s capable of reaching. The talent has never been in question.

The only concern I have is that he can become a little too obsessed with the mechanics of his golf swing, which does concern me. Over the past two seasons, we’ve seen him constantly searching for improvements, and sometimes that has done more harm than good. When Hovland starts overthinking things, he can lose the natural rhythm that makes him such a brilliant ball striker.

Right now, his iron play looks to be firing again, and that’s a huge positive. Much like Tyrrell Hatton, Hovland is at his best when he simply picks a target and commits to it. He produces that lovely, controlled left-to-right ball flight, and when he’s dialled in, he repeatedly hits his numbers with the irons. It’s a very simple formula, but an incredibly effective one.

An eight-time PGA Tour winner and now back up to world number 13, the trajectory is finally heading in the right direction again. When Viktor trusts his game instead of chasing technical perfection, he’s one of the very best players in the world.

I think this course suits him extremely well, and with his confidence restored after that win at the Travelers, I can see him putting together another really strong week. Hovland and Hatton very similar fits here, and they stand out here significantly to my eye.

3. Ryan Fox (+12500)

The man for the big occasions is Ryan Fox, one of two players in my squad this week that I’ve also put up for The Open Championship already. His resume is outstanding, and when you look at the variety of courses he’s won on, it really shows how effective he is when his game clicks.

He’s won the RBC Canadian Open, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the Ras Al Khaimah Classic, and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship across St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. That alone tells you he has the full toolkit required for links golf and tough championship tests. When Fox is in form, he can win anywhere.

I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if he contends at The Open next week, he’s that calibre of player on his day. When I build my selections, I don’t just try to pick the “best” players on paper, otherwise you end up too top heavy in the market.

Instead, I look for players who can score well in the conditions and suit the course. It’s always player-versus-course for me, not just player-versus-player.

And in that sense, Ryan Fox stands out significantly at the prices. His swing is unique but extremely repeatable, and he has a very consistent stock shot shape, which is a big advantage in conditions like these. He combines sneaky length with accuracy and strong tee to green numbers, which gives him every chance of controlling his ball in the right way.

Fox is also the type of player who tends to thrive in these high tier events where depth is slightly reduced but quality is still high. At the price available, I think he’s more than fair, and I can see him getting seriously involved this week. He’s a genuine contender on links golf courses.

4. Haotong Li (+20000)

Haotong Li is another player I’ve already put up for next week’s Open Championship, but I think there’s a strong case to back him this week as well at Renaissance. On paper, he probably doesn’t scream “perfect fit” for links golf, but he’s one of those players who consistently seems to outperform what his raw attributes suggest.

If anything, the profile looks slightly contradictory. Li can be volatile off the tee, he tends to flight his irons quite low, and his putting can go through streaky spells. In theory, that isn’t the ideal recipe for links golf or exposed conditions.

In practice, he has repeatedly found a way to make it work. A lot of that comes down to his aggressive mindset and his ability to manage courses in his own way. He doesn’t play conservatively, but he commits fully to his shots, and when he gets into rhythm, he can rip apart strong fields which is the trait I like here.

That’s reflected in his major record. Li has finished inside the top 15 at the U.S. Open, top 5 at The Open twice, and has also contended at the PGA Championship. Those aren’t accidents, they show a player who turns up on the biggest stages.

He’s a genuine competitor, and there’s a resilience to his game that doesn’t always get enough credit. Even when parts of his game aren’t ideally suited to the conditions, he finds ways to stay in contention. That’s a rare trait.

From a pure links perspective, I wouldn’t normally be looking for a low-ball flight specialist as a priority, but in Haotong’s case, it clearly works well. He’s proven he can compete at the highest level in the toughest environments, and that makes him very interesting at a big price.

At around 200/1, I think he’s worth a small interest. He’s one I already like for next week at Royal Birkdale too, and in events like this where experience, temperament and big stage performance matter, he’s very much a player I want on side.