The ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open is going to be a banger! The impressive lineup of talent at the Dundonald Links from August 15 to August 18 will have the best of the best players on the field. From 36 Olympians who represented their country in Paris last week, like Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and Jin Young Ko, to 18 major winners like Minjee Lee and Brooke Henderson, the tournament will have 156 star-studded players.

Apart from all the pro players who have already been a part of the event earlier, 33 players will be making their debut at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open this year. Rose Zhang, from the USA, is one of them.

Top contenders to take over the Scottish Highlands

Last year, Celine Boutier took home the trophy and a whopping $300,000 from the purse money of $2 million. She defeated South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim with a two-shot victory and is back to defend her title. However, she has two players who are ranked above her in the field of players competing this weekend. Here is a list of the top players at the Women’s Scottish Open:

Lilia Vu

Lilia Vu is currently ranked No. 2, right after Nelly Korda on the Rolex list of golfers, while she is on 10 in the CME Ranking. The 26-year-old is yet to shine in her 2024 season, as she has only been able to grab one victory so far. She bagged the first position at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give Back in June. Vu started the season with an 18th finish at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and has been able to grab only three top-10 finishes so far. She even withdrew from two back-to-back events (the HSBC Women’s World Championship and the Blue Bay LPGA). She represented the USA along with Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang at the Paris Olympics and grabbed a T36 finish with a 5-over score.

Jin Young Ko

After a period of almost eight months on the LPGA Tour this season, Jin Young Ko has appeared in a total of eleven events so far. She failed to make the cut at the first women’s major of the season, the Chevron Championship. Ko’s first event of the season was the Honda LPGA Thailand in February, where she managed a T20 finish, which was followed by a T8 finish at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. The 29-year-old golfer has had three top-10 finishes this season but has failed to grab any wins so far! She also represented the Korean team at the Olympics and finished with an even-par at T25 with Jin Hyo Jio Kim. Currently ranked 4th on the Rolex list, will she be able to grab a win at the Women’s Scottish Open?

Celine Boutier

The French professional golfer, Celine Boutier, is ranked No. 7 on the Rolex Ranking in the 2024 season, with a CME Ranking of 34. She had the season of her life back in 2023 with four victories on the LPGA Tour, which also included a win at the Women’s Scottish Open. However, she has not yet had her moment to shine this season. The 30-year-old professional golfer has bagged only one top-10 finish, which is a solo second position at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Additionally, she also missed the cut at the Chevron Championship. However, last week, Boutier managed to finish the Olympics in the top 20 (T18) with a 2-under. Will the French golfer be able to defend her title this year in Scotland?

Ayaka Furue

The next pro on the list to look out for is also among the top 10 golfers on the Rolex list, Ayaka Furue. The 24-year-old currently sits in eighth place and also holds the second position on the CME Ranking list. There have been a few hiccups this season with the missed cut at the Dow Championship but over the year has been pretty good for the Japanese national, with 8 top-10 finishes this season so far, which includes a win that too at the last major of the season, the Amundi Evian Championship. Furue is in full form to take home the trophy at the Women’s Scottish Open this year.

Rose Zhang

Rose Zhang has made it to the top-10 list on the Rolex Ranking by bagging the ninth position. The player from the USA has three missed cuts, two of which are women’s majors (the Chevron Championship and the US Women’s Open presented by Ally). She also withdrew herself from the Mizuho Americas Open, right after winning the trophy at the Cognizant Founders Cup. After having back-to-back disappointing finishes since May, she finally gave a power-pack performance by bagging the T6 finish at the CPKC Women’s Open last month. The latest highlight being the top-10 finish at the Olympics with a five-under score (T8).

The players are pretty excited to be testing their luck at the Dundonald Links. Rose Zhang, who will be playing for the first time in the course, said, “I am excited to compete at Dundonald Links for the first time this summer. I’ve heard amazing things about the course and tournament, and I’m looking forward to experiencing the unique atmosphere of Scottish golf and Scotland itself. It’s going to be a great two weeks in Scotland, and I’m ready to take on all the challenges Links Golf has in store.” But what is so special about the course?

Is Dundonald the best course in Scotland?

Paul Lawrie during the 1999 Open Championship said, “The feel of a classic Ayrshire Links test.” The course was designed by Kyle Phillips and has become a must-play course for professional golfers. The par-72 course has a true connection to modern links. There are no details too small that have been overlooked, making it one of the best courses to not just play but also dine, stay, and relax in Scotland.

It is located in the Firth of Clyde, on the golf course near Ayrshire. The stretch of the course varied from 6,415 to 7,300 yards. There are uncountable luxurious lodges, clubhouses, and hotel suites, which make even the breaks memorable! Will you be a part of the Dundonald course this weekend? Let us know in the comments section below!