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Fabulous new links layout awaits in Scotland
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Potential draw bias looks likely
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Trading drama expected over the weekend
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Read my FedEx St Jude Championship preview here
Tournament History
The only previous edition of what's now called the NEXO Championship was staged back in 2020 at Fairmont St Andrews.
The tournament was then known as the Scottish Championship and it was won by Adrian Otaegui, who beat Matt Wallace by four strokes in 23-under-par.
The NEXO Championship is the fourth of five events on the Closing Swing before the Back 9 begins in two weeks' time at the British Masters.
Venue
Trump International Golf Links, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Course Details
Par 72 -7,439 yards
Trump International was designed by renowned links specialist, Martin Hawtree, and it opened as recently as July 2012.
Set on the east coats of Scotland, just north of Aberdeen, Trump International is a spectacular links layout framed by dunes.
The fairways are mix of bentgrass and fescue and the rough is thick marram grass that looks extremely tough to play from.
The front nine plays out and in south of the clubhouse and the back nine plays out and in north of it. Several elevated bentgrass greens will repel weak approach shots.
There are numerous videos online that capture the feel of this magnificent modern links classic, but the one below gives the best feel of the overall course.
Trump International hosted the Tartan Tour's Tour Championship, won by Calum Fyfe, last October. It's also hosted the last three editions of the Legends Tour's flagship event, PGA Seniors Championship, the most recent of which concluded on Sunday when Bo Van Pelt got the better of Darren Fichardt in extra-time after both men had finished on -3 following a blustery week. They were the only two players to finish the tournament under-par.
Weather Forecast
TV Coverage
Live on Sky Sports all four days beginning at 12:30 UK time on Thursday
Senior PGA Winners at Trump International
2023 - Peter Baker -12
2024 - Robert Coles -4
2025 - Bo Van Pelt -3 (playoff)
What Will it Take to Win the win the NEXO Championship?
Although a very modern layout, Trump International looks like a gem of a links layout and previous links form is going to prove essential.
Darren Fichardt, who made the playoff on Sunday, is a renowned links specialist and the 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie, really should have won the Senior PGA here 12 months ago.
He entered the final round leading by four but was caught late on by Robert Coles.
For clues, look to only previous edition of this event, the Scottish Open over the last 14 years, the 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2024 editions of the Irish Open, the 2019 British Masters from Hillside Links, the Open Championship, and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Links golf is unique and those events have all been staged on links courses.
Draw bias looks likely
As you can see with the winning scores in the Seniors event here, how hard the wind blows will determine the winning score. With Storm Floris battering the UK in the early part of the week, we should be looking to side with excellent wind exponents.
At this early stage, Thursday is predicted to be extremely windy and, if the forecast is correct, it may even be too blustery for a full days' play.
Keeping an eye on the forecast looks essential as the potential for a draw bias is high.
At this very early stage, PM-AM looks like the favourable side to be on but that can all change very quickly in this part of the world.
In-Play Tactics
It's unusual to see just one player trade at odds-on on any given week on the DP World Tour so taking on anyone who goes odds-on often pays dividends.
Peter Baker cruised to a six-stroke win here three years ago but Lawrie would have traded at long odds-on two years ago if it had been a DP World Tour event. Fichardt got into a playoff on Sunday despite trailing by three strokes on the back nine.
It looks like we're going to be in for a treat this week as the venue is fantastic but we could also witness drama over the weekend. Taking on odds-on shots could be a rewarding way to play the event.
Selections
The English duo, Marco Penge and Jordan Smith, are currently first and second favourites but my idea of the value towards the front of the market is the in-form Norwegian, Kristoffer Reitan.
The 27-year-old, who won the Soudal Open in extra time back in May, impressed on the links in his last two starts, finishing 13th in the Scottish Open before an impressive tied 30th in his first Open Championship appearance last time out.
Those two performances suggest he'll enjoy this week's examination and in addition to winning in Belgium, Reitan has also finished second in the Hainan Classic, second in the Austrian Open and fourth in the BMW International Open in Germany a month ago so he's been in fair form since the end of April.
Retain is an 18/119.00 chance across the boards so the 23.022/1 available on the Exchange is more than fair.
Back Kristoffer Reitan
After an impressive victory at the BMW International Open, links specialist, Daniel Brown, would have been disappointed by his 60th placed finish in the Scottish Open and his missed cut in the Open last time out but after a couple of weeks off to recharge the batteries, he looks a decent price to contend on the links again.
Although already a winner on the DP World Tour, having hacked up by five strokes at the ISPS Handa World Invitational two years ago, Brown caught the attention of the wider public when he led last year's Open Championship after round one before eventually finishing 10th and he backed that links performance up with an excellent fourth place in the Irish Open in September, so this week's test should be right up his street.
Back Daniel Brown