Scottish Open First-Round Leader Tips: Dave Tindall's three to back from 55/1 to 90/1

• 55/156.00 Justin Thomas loves a fast start in Scotland

• 90/191.00 Thomas Detry has had a series of low openers here

• 90/191.00 Chris Gotterup is in form and plays well by the coast 

Weather forecast for Thursday

The official BBC forecast reads "sunny and a moderate breeze" for day one in North Berwick.

Temperatures start at around 60 degrees and max out at just over 70 in mid-to-late afternoon.

Winds are stronger than they are for the rest of the week, but in terms of trying to find a draw bias there isn't one; it's constant at around 15mph all day.

A low score is needed to hold the first-round lead on this par 70. Byeong-Hun An (2023) and Cameron Tringale (2022) both did it with 61s while Justin Thomas (2024) and Lee Westwood (2020) led the way with 62s.

There's been no obvious historical bias towards either the a.m. or p.m. wave so we'll pick freely, regardless of tee-times. 

Justin Thomas @ 55/156.00

If asked about Justin Thomas' record on UK soil, you'd probably shrug and say 'nothing special'.

That would largely be true but it's a very different story when it comes to the opening day.

JT seems to love getting some Scottish air in his nostrils and the effect is immediate. As noted above, he set the pace here last year via a 9-under 61.

But his fast starts don't end there. At this course he was also second after 18 holes in 2021 while his day one scores when the Open Championship visits Scotland are definitely worth checking out.

Thomas was fourth after the opening lap at Troon in 2016, eighth following Thursday's action at Carnoustie in 2018 and third after R1 back at Troon last year.

His scorecards have had real extremes this season but focusing on the good stuff, in Thomas' latest five tournaments he was the first-round leader at The Heritage thanks to a 61 while scores of 67-63 secured the halfway lead in the Travelers Championship last time.

Back Thomas, who starts at 08.17, at 55/156.00 (1/4, 5 Places).

Thomas Detry @ 90/191.00

Thomas Detry widened eyes with a seven-shot victory in Phoenix earlier this year but, for now, it remains a thunderclap moment that he hasn't really built on.

But there are some decent signs that something is brewing again.

The Belgian closed 65-67 for 18th at the Canadian Open and was sixth after day one and eighth at halfway in the US Open at Oakmont.

That recent promise suggests he could make yet another fast start in this event.

Detry sat third on the 18-hole leaderboard in both 2023 and 2024 here after starting out with 64s both times while a 66 put him fourth after round one in 2021.

He also closed with a 64 in 2020 so Detry really does know how to score at the Renaissance Club.

Back him at 90/191.00 from his 08.50 tee-time.

Chris Gotterup @ 90/191.00

In each of the last three years, we've had what you might call American middleweights shoot their way onto the first-round leaderboard.

Justin Lower was tied third after R1 last year via a 64, Davis Riley fired a 63 to lie second in 2023 while Cameron Tringle was the FRL in 2022 with a 61.

So I'll end by chancing Chris Gotterup at 90s.

The American boasts form figures of 21-26-23 coming in and has been throwing in lots of low rounds over the last few months.

He's had several strong starts by the coast and, notably, Gotterup opened with a 66 here 12 months ago.

Last year he won the Myrtle Beach Classic by six shots so hopefully he'll enjoy Thursday's sea breezes in North Berwick.

A decorated amateur at windy Oklahoma, Gotterup is an afternoon starter at 13.21.

*You can follow me on Twitter @DaveTindallgolf

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