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The 2024 ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open is set to be played at the Dundonald Links course in Ayrshire, Scotland, from August 15 to 18. The event will see the LPGA Tour's best players compete for a slice of the $2 million prize purse and 500 Race to the CME Globe points.
With 142 players currently in the field for the eighth LPGA Tour event of the season, here's a look into five golfers to watch out for at this week's ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open:
#5 Stacy Lewis
Stacy Lewis will be in the 2024 ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open field this week as one of the four sponsor's exemptions. The Solheim Cup Team USA captain emerged victorious at the 2020 edition of the event with scores of 71, 66, 70, and 72.
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Despite being a dark horse pick for the win this week, Lewis has had a rough season on the LPGA Tour this year. The two-time Major championship winner has missed the cut 11 times in 15 events played.
However, Lewis excelled at the Dana Open in June, where a total four day score of ten under par led to a tied for seventh place finish. The performance was proof that Lewis has what it takes to earn another Scottish Open title.
#4 Celine Boutier
Having placed second at the 2022 edition of the tournament at the Dundonald Links, Celine Boutier managed to avenge the result in 2023 to take home the victory with scores of 69, 68, 66, and 70. However, she did not have a great week at the 2024 Paris Olympics last week, which saw her place 18th.
The defending champion has played in 15 events on the LPGA Tour so far and has seen mediocre results as she recorded only one top-ten finish. However, Boutier's performance at the HSBC Women's World Championship which led to a runner-up finish proved she has what it takes to defend her title this week.
#3 Rose Zhang
The LPGA Tour's latest sensation, Rose Zhang, has left golf enthusiasts worldwide in awe of her performance this year. In 13 events played, she has recorded four top-ten finishes and one win.
Having made her debut as a professional in 2023, she earned her maiden victory on the Tour at the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup. Zhang performed well at the 2024 Paris Olympics last week with scores of 72, 70, 67, and 74 that resulted in a tied for eighth place finish.
Her last LPGA Tour event was the CPKC Women's Open which saw her finish tied for sixth place. Zhang has displayed great skill on the course this year and has the game and determination to navigate the Dundonald Links this week as she would be eager to earn her second title as a professional at the Scottish Open.
#2 Ayaka Furue
Ayaka Furue made her debut on the LPGA Tour in 2022 and has had a great season so far. She has played in 17 events and recorded nine top-ten finishes alongside one win. Her last start was at the Amundi Evian Championship last month where she emerged victorious and picked up the title with rounds of 65, 65, 70, and 65.
Furue has displayed remarkable consistency this year. She sits second on the Race to the CME Globe rankings with 2,082 points. The 24-year-old leads the LPGA Tour field with a scoring average of 69.89 and also has the most number of rounds under par with 44 rounds carded in beating the course's par.
Having recorded a win at the 2022 edition of the Women's Scottish Open, she is expected to dominate the challenging par 72 course this week.
#1 Lydia Ko
Lydia Ko emerged victorious at the 2024 Paris Olympics last week. She took home the gold medal to complete the Olympic medal trifecta following a silver in 2016 and a bronze in 2020. The New Zealand native has had a good season on the LPGA Tour so far.
In her 14 starts, she has placed inside the top ten four times. Following a win at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Ko finished as the runner-up at the LPGA Drive On Championship.
With a putting average of 28.94 putts per round, Ko's capabilities on the greens is sure to come in handy this week. Golf enthusiasts worldwide would be rooting for her to win at the Scottish Open this week as she heads to Scotland with confidence built from the Olympics.
