Matt Fitzpatrick is expected to resurface this week, and he has unfinished business to take care of at the 2022 Scottish Open. The last time we saw the Englishman was in the winner's circle at the U.S. Open, and now he comes to The Renaissance Club looking to avenge his loss to Min Woo Lee in a playoff last year. The playoff, which also included Thomas Detry, was the third in the tournament's three years at the club in North Berwick. But to win the Scottish Open this time around, Fitzpatrick (and Lee) will face much stiffer competition. It's the first year that the tournament is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and 14 of the world's top 15 players are in the field. That means major winners like Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa also will be battling for the title. Rory McIlroy chose to skip the event to get ready for next week's major at St. Andrews, but the rest of the 2022 Scottish Open field is getting in some final preparations for that historic 150th British Open.
Rahm is the 11-1 favorite in the latest 2022 Scottish Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Thomas (12-1), Scheffler (12-1), Fitzpatrick (18-1) and Xander Schauffele (18-1) are next in line. Patrick Cantlay (22-1), Cameron Smith (25-1) and Morikawa (25-1) also are top contenders in the Scottish Open 2022 field. Should a player like Schauffele or Cantlay anchor your 2022 Scottish Open Fantasy golf picks? Or would a player who has been hot most of the season, like Smith or Sam Burns (28-1) give you better value? Before setting any Fantasy golf lineups or making any 2022 Scottish Open picks, be sure you check out the Fantasy golf projections from SportsLine expert Riley Gates.
Gates is a writer for 247Sports and has covered a range of sports for nearly five years. He has followed golf closely for much longer and has a profound knowledge of the sport. He also knows what it takes to win, on the course and in fantasy sports.
Gates has been crushing his golf picks all season. At last week's John Deere Classic, he nailed 40-1 long shot J.T. Poston as a potential winner. "Poston has been sniffing a win in recent months," Gates said. "At these odds, I think it is more than fair to give Poston a light sprinkle to come away with the win."
The 29-year-old went 21 under at TPC Deere Run to cruise to a three-stroke victory, his second on the PGA Tour and his first in nearly three years. Gates' top three fantasy anchors also all finished in the top 16, two of them in the top 10.
At the Travelers, he was all over Sahith Theegala, who was priced at just $7,300 at DraftKings and finished as a runner-up to help many Fantasy golf players cash in. At the Memorial, five of Gates' nine picks finished in the top 15, including his biggest sleeper, Brendan Steele -- just $6,600 at DraftKings -- who posted a top-10 finish.
And at the Wells Fargo, four of his top six players finished in the top five, including winner Max Homa, a 40-1 long shot. Anyone who has followed Gates is way up.
Now, Gates has ranked his top golfers for the 2022 Scottish Open, and you'll really want to see what he has to say. You can only see his Fantasy golf rankings and Scottish Open picks at SportsLine.
2022 Scottish Open Fantasy golf expert picks
One thing is for sure: Gates is behind Burns this week, even if the 25-year-old has hit a slight speed bump. His talent has been apparent all year, and the skills that have gotten him noticed remain. Gates isn't worried that he missed the cut at the Travelers after a Sunday meltdown at the U.S. Open (T-27). Burns won the Charles Schwab at the end of May and tied for fourth at the Canadian Open two weeks later. "I feel like we are about to see him get hot again," the expert says. Burns is 12th on tour in strokes gained putting and 14th in greens in regulation.
On the flip side, it's the week before a major, so the expert is fading Morikawa. The 25-year-old played very well in the Masters and the PGA Championship, finishing in the top five in both. He did not, however, fare well in the previous stroke-play tournaments, tying for 68th at the Valspar and missing the cut at the Memorial. Whether it's focus or just the two-time major champ tinkering with his game, it's a trend Gates doesn't want to take a chance on. Add to it that Morikawa is not a great putter and these greens could cause him trouble, and it's best to stay away.
How to set your 2022 Scottish Open Fantasy golf rankings
For this week's tournament at The Renaissance Club, Gates is backing a long shot who is priced at just over $7,000 at DraftKings. This player gains strokes both off the tee and tee-to-green and posted a strong finish his last time out. You can see who it is at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2022 Scottish Open, and who are the top players to target for your Fantasy picks? And which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Riley Gates' Fantasy golf rankings for the 2022 Scottish Open, all from the fantasy expert who has been on fire with his picks.
