After winning the John Deere Classic on Sunday, July 5, with a final-round 9-under 62, five-time PGA Tour winner Chris Gotterup heads to Scotland to defend his title at the Genesis Scottish Open. A 156-player field, including top names like World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, is ready for the PGA Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event, which features a $9 million purse. But five notable names will be missing from The Renaissance Club when play begins on Thursday, July 9.

Jordan Spieth

Former World No. 1 Jordan Spieth is returning to the sport but won’t be in the field on Thursday for one simple reason: he wants to play in the Open Championship, which is on July 17 in Great Britain. The 31-year-old qualified for this year’s Open by winning the tournament in 2017.

Spieth skipped the Scottish Open to practice for the Open Championship after finishing tied for 66th at the Travelers.

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“I thought unless I went to Birkdale before the Scottish [Open], I’m not going to get in until Sunday night,” Spieth told the Associated Press.

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The decision stems from his belief that arriving early at the host venue has contributed to his performances in the majors this season: T12 at the Masters Tournament, 18th at the PGA Championship, and T56 at the U.S. Open.

Justin Rose

Thirteen-time PGA Tour winner Justin Rose will also miss the Scottish Open. The 45-year-old’s absence marks his first miss in five years; no reason is given.

The last time he played was at the Travelers Championship, where he tied for 25th. And since his win at the Farmers Insurance Open, the former World No. 1 has been in a drought. The reason for his absence could be that he has already qualified for the British Open. 

That is thanks to his No. 10 ranking in the Official World Golf Ranking. His sole major championship victory came at the 2013 U.S. Open, so he may be aiming to add a second major title at the Open.

Tony Finau

While missing the 2026 Scottish Open won’t affect Spieth and Rose’s chances of playing in the Open Championship, the same can’t be said for six-time PGA Tour winner Tony Finau. The 36-year-old failed to qualify for the first three majors of the season.

And it looks like the final will slip through his hands as well. According to the PGA Tour, Finau withdrew from the tournament on Monday, July 6. Marcus Armitage replaced him. This comes after Finau failed to crack the top 25 in his last four tournaments. 

His absence at the Scottish Open cost him his last chance to qualify for the Open Championship, as the top 3 who were otherwise not qualified would have earned a spot at Royal Birkdale. 

Interestingly, though, he said in a June 9 post on X, “I can’t go 0 for 4” this season.

Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler will also miss the Genesis Scottish Open on Thursday. Although he won the tournament in 2015 with a thrilling birdie blitz in the final round, he has occasionally skipped the co-sanctioned event before the Open Championship.

Fowler has also secured his spot in the Open later this month thanks to his 41st-place position in the Official World Golf Ranking. Not to mention, rest and practice will be crucial for him ahead of the final major, as he is yet to win a tournament this season. In fact, he hasn’t won since June 2023.

Keegan Bradley

For Keegan Bradley, his absence from the Scottish Open isn’t much of a shock. He played the event just once in 2022, when he missed the cut. He has qualified for the Open, so he has the liberty to not play at The Renaissance Club. 

Bradley, an eight-time PGA Tour winner, likely prioritizes major prep. He has a spot because of his 40th spot on the OWGR. His last outing came at TPC Deere Run, where he finished tied for 26th. 

Besides these names, Seamus Power, Keith Mitchell, Rico Hoey, Jhonattan Vegas, and Taylor Pendrith also won’t play at the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open. All five names have withdrawn from the event.