Genesis Scottish Open venue confirmed through to 2030

The Genesis Scottish Open will be played at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian through to 2030 after a new four-year extension was announced by the tournament organisers.

The event was first held at the American-owned venue in 2019 and, as first reported by The Scotsman in January, it is now set to be staged there beyond this year’s eighth consecutive edition.

The extension mirrors title partner Genesis, the luxury automotive brand from South Korea, announcing last year that it was also committing to the event through to 2030.

In another boost, it was announced recently that the Rolex Series event, which is part of both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour schedules, had secured a new three-year funding from the Scottish Government and VisitScotland worth £6.3 million.

Bob MacIntyre, the 2024 winner, pictured at a Genesis Scottish Open Media Day at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian | Kenny Smith

Won in 2023 by Rory McIlroy then Bob MacIntyre the following year, the tournament once again boasted the fifth-strongest field in golf last year and that included the majors.

“The Renaissance Club has been a fantastic host venue for the Genesis Scottish Open over the past seven years and we are delighted to be able to call it our home through to 2030,” said championship director Rory Colville of this latest announcement.

“The venue has grown and developed with the event in that time, and John and Jerry Sarvadi and their team have really been committed to providing a world-class experience for everyone on site, with the latest changes to the championship course routing just the latest part of that evolution.”

After the Tom Doak-designed course had been softened by heavy rain at the start of the week then, unusually for the East Lothian coast, the event took place without any wind at all, Austrian Bernd Wiesberger won the 2019 edition with a 22-under-par total.

Event boasts fifth-strongest field in golf

Constant tweaks have been made since then, though, and, when Xander Schauffele came out on top at the end of a testing week in 2022, his winning total was just seven under.

“We at The Renaissance Club are thrilled to extend our role as host venue for the Genesis Scottish Open, an event that has firmly established itself as one of the premier tournaments in world golf,” said John Sarvadi, the venue’s CEO.

“The strength of field continues to rank among the very best each year, with the calibre of the event reflected in recent champions including major winners such as Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele, alongside outstanding talents like Min Woo Lee, Bob MacIntyre, and Chris Gotterup.

“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with Genesis in working with the DP World Tour, the PGA Tour, and our other valued partners to further grow and enhance this world-class event through 2030.”

The routing change referred to by Colville is designed to create an even more exciting finish for American Chris Gotterup’s title defence on Scotland’s Golf Coast on 9-12 July.

What was called The Stadium hole has been renamed as The Thistle and will also play as the 15th as opposed to the sixth in this year’s Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The first hole will be what was formerly played as the tenth and the opening seven holes on that nine will stay the same, which means the signature hole, which has Fidra Island as a stunning backdrop, will be the fourth.

The new front nine will then finish with the holes that played as the eighth and ninth before tenth becomes the old opening hole and, again, the opening seven holes on that nine stay the same.

That means ‘The Stadium’, which has been rebranded as ‘The Thistle’ for this year’s event, will be the 15th, with organisers hoping that a tricky short hole coming after a drivable par 4 near the end of a round as opposed to much earlier on will have the capacity to create some “leaderboard volatility”.

New routing for this year’s event

The 16th will be what used to be the seventh before players then tackle the same two final holes, which McIlroy, of course, birdied in 2023 to pip MacIntyre before the Oban man went one better 12 months later to become the first home player to claim the coveted crown since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.

This year’s event will once again feature a Fringe by the Tee stage in the Fan Zone, with organisers hoping to beat last year’s record crowd of 88,735 after it was a sell-out over the weekend.

General admission tickets for the Genesis Scottish Open start from as low as £35, with fans having the option to elevate their experience with Ticket+ as well as our two Premium Experiences: Green on 18 and Thistle Club.

General Admission Daily or Season tickets can be purchased now at etg.golf/GSO26Tickets Ticket+, which offers an enhanced experience including reserved bar and viewing area, preferential parking and meal vouchers can be purchased at etg.golf/GSO26TicketPlus

For the Green on 18 or Thistle Club Premium Experiences, purchase at etg.golf/GSO26PremiumExperience