Action Report: Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg popular picks for Genesis Scottish Open

The Open Championship is a week away, but many of the PGA TOUR’s best players are across the Atlantic Ocean a week early for the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy headlines the field in what will be his first start since falling a stroke short at the U.S. Open last month.

When it comes to golf betting at the BetMGM online sportsbook, McIlroy is a very popular pick.

McIlroy, who has the best odds at +800, is drawing the most bets (11.6%) and the second-most money (13.4%).

A year ago, he won the event at 15-under, one shot better than Robert MacIntyre. Despite not winning the U.S. Open, McIlroy is playing some terrific golf. He has six straight top-15 finishes, including two wins (Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Wells Fargo Championship).

Another popular pick is Ludvig Åberg (+1200).

Even though he missed the cut in his lone appearance at this event last year, he’s pulling in the most money (15.6%) on the second-most tickets (8.7%).

Åberg has some strong finishes of late, including a T5 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and a T12 at the U.S. Open.

Åberg, Viktor Hovland (+2200) and Aaron Rai (+3300) are BetMGM’s biggest liabilities.

Current handle and tickets

Handle

1. Ludvig Åberg – 15.6%
2. Rory McIlroy – 13.4%
3. Viktor Hovland – 9.1%
4. Collin Morikawa – 6.6%
6. Xander Schauffele – 6.5%

Tickets

1. Rory McIlroy – 11.6%
2. Ludvig Åberg – 8.7%
3. Viktor Hovland – 7.1%
4. Xander Schauffele – 6.6%
5. Aaron Rai – 5.6%

Schauffele has the second-shortest odds at +900 and won this event back in 2022. He is also playing exceptional golf this season, logging 12 straight top-25 finishes, including five top-five finishes.

Hovland (+2200) has had an up-and-down year but most recently finished T20 at the Travelers Championship and T15 at the Memorial.

*Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, KS, LA, MA, MI, MS, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA and WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.