​With Wimbledon nearly over and a couple of World Cup quarterfinals hogging the spotlight, this weekend’s golf on manicured grass has largely been left to the shadows, despite intriguing storylines developing across three tournaments. Across the Atlantic at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, the Genesis Scottish Open—co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour and serving as the appetiser to next week’s Open Championship—promises plenty of drama.
In the event’s final tune-up before Royal Birkdale, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Smith, and Tom Kim sit tied at the top, just one stroke ahead of Min Woo Lee and Matt Fitzpatrick. The Englishman has enjoyed a banner year and boasts a strong Renaissance Club record, having finished fourth a year ago and sixth in 2022. “I like this place from a confidence standpoint for sure,” Fitzpatrick said after carding a second-round 65, featuring consecutive birdies from the 11th through the 15th. “Somewhere I’ve played well before… I feel like I can take from that every time I arrive. It certainly gives me some good confidence.” The world No. 4 has already captured three titles this season and has made the cut in all 16 starts. “This stretch of sort, February onwards to now, it’s definitely the best golf I’ve played in my career for sure,” he added.
Meanwhile, while France remains transfixed by Kylian Mbappé and Les Bleus’ World Cup run, the Amundi Evian Championship—a purse of $9.1 million—has been quietly unfolding in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Lottie Woad leads this major into the weekend at 11-under, one stroke ahead of Japan’s Akie Iwai. Mao Saigo and Haeran Ryu sit three back, while World No. 2 Jiyoo Thitikul remains very much in contention after rebounding from an opening 72 with a sizzling bogey-free 64 that vaulted the Thai star from T69 into the top five. “I definitely hit better than yesterday,” Thitikul said after her round. “I hit more fairways, I hit more greens, and that gave me a lot more opportunities to make putts.” She added, “I love the course, how it looks. It’s so slopey, but it has room for you to hit it and let it help you get it to the hole or to the spot that you wanted.”
Back stateside, at the opposite-field ISCO Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, Lucas Glover leads heading into the weekend. “I’ve been hitting it well for a couple of weeks. I found a little something Sunday morning in Hartford before I played and took it to the Deere and brought it here, and it just seems to be clicking,” said Glover, a six-time tour winner. Max Homa, who arrived with momentum after a runner-up at the John Deere Classic, opened with a 67 but slipped down the leaderboard after a rocky second round. Yet the popular Californian still offered one of the week’s more memorable quips. When asked if Louisville native Th… The rest of the quote and details elide here, but the scene is set: a weekend of golf far from the brightest lights of the Open and Wimbledon, yet rich with competitive storylines across three distinct events on turf that demands precision, patience, and perhaps a touch of luck to finish in the winner’s circle.