Watch out for these long shots in star-studded Scottish Open

The Scottish Open wears several different hats this week. It primarily serves as the last tune-up for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush and is the last chance for those not yet qualified to get into the year’s final major.

This week’s field has no shortage of European Tour regulars plus several Americans arriving a week early across the pond. Rory McIlroy is the favorite at 13/2. He is playing this event in his native Northern Ireland for the first time since 2014. Three Americans follow him on the William Hill odds board — including 2015 event champion Rickie Fowler (13/1), 2015 event runnerup Matt Kuchar (15/1) and Justin Thomas (18/1). Henrik Stenson rounds out the top five at 18/1.

Here are some worthy long shots for the tournament’s debut at the Renaissance Club: THE PLAYS Henrik Stenson (18/1): He leads the PGA Tour in “strokes gained: approach” with an average of 1.25 strokes per round. The recent form is as good as it has been all season with consecutive top 10s in Canada and at the U.S. Open. Stenson won The Open in 2016 at Royal Troon, so he’s more than shown his prowess in links golf. Martin Kaymer (30/1): The two-time major winner (2010 PGA, 2014 U.S. Open) is currently the third alternate to get into next week’s Open and is in danger of missing his first major since 2007. This week is his last chance. The recent form isn’t awful with three top 10s in his past seven events. Jorge Campillo (50/1): After finally breaking through for his maiden win in Morocco and coming back the following week with a third in China, Campillo missed two straight cuts at the PGA and in Denmark. He took four weeks off and has returned with a 15th at Valderrama and a seventh last week at the Irish Open, where he posted all four rounds in the 60s. He was eighth at Castle Stuart in 2016, so he has good familiarity with these fescue greens. Gavin Green (70/1): The 25 year-old from Malaysia is mostly known in Asia and won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2017. His only appearance in a major was at last year’s Open at Carnoustie, where he made the cut. He is one of those on the outside looking in for Royal Portrush but recent form shows that he could be a closer for one of the last three spots allocated this week. Robert MacIntyre (75/1): The 22year-old lefty from Scotland already has earned a spot at Royal Portrush with back-to-back runnersup at the British Masters and in Denmark. This week he gets the spotlight as he is paired with Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler for the first two rounds.