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Scottish Open called ‘total mess’ by PGA Tour player: ‘Disappointing to say the least’

Originally posted on HITC | By Peter Lynch | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 11:06 AM ET

Chris Gotterup claimed victory at the Scottish Open, a tournament jointly sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

The 25-year-old American delivered a composed final round to post 15-under at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, securing his second PGA Tour title.

He earned his trophy by finishing two strokes ahead of Rory McIlroy – the current world No. 2 – and Marco Penge.

While the event on Scottish soil will likely be a highlight in Gotterup’s career, it also drew criticism from other players, including Michael Kim, as he continues to share valuable insights into life on the PGA Tour through social media since it wrapped up.

Michael Kim calls out ‘total mess’ at the Scottish Open

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Kim is a big fan of links golf, but he was far from impressed with how things were run at the Scottish Open this year.

Sharing his thoughts on X, he wrote: “The way DP World Tour ran the tournament this week… left a lot to be desired.”

“Wrong numbers on a pin sheet and the charter plane to the Open was a TOTAL mess. Two yrs ago, it was run top class so it was disappointing to say the least.”

Thoughts from Scottish:
-Links golf is great. Renaissance gets a lot of hate which I get but it’s still a good course.
-Justin Rose played really well Sunday and was fun to watch. He loves hitting it super straight (no curvature) and when it’s clicking, it’s really good.…
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) July 14, 2025

Michael Kim looking forward to Royal Portrush after Scottish Open frustration

Kim also had some positive words for a few of his fellow pros, including event winner Gotterup.

The American’s only other PGA Tour win came at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic, while Kim’s lone victory remains the 2018 John Deere Classic.

He finished T34 at The Renaissance Club on four-under and will now turn his attention to The Open Championship.

This year’s tournament returns to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, where Xander Schauffele will look to defend the title he won last year at Royal Troon.

Organisers have been preparing for months to deliver a strong event, which should help Kim move past his frustrations from Scotland.

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This season, he also posted a runner-up finish at the WM Phoenix Open and placed T27, T55 and T50 at The Masters, PGA Championship and US Open respectively.

The world’s best golfers are now heading to Royal Portrush, many of whom played there during The Open in 2019. Shane Lowry won that edition in what was a memorable week on the north coast of Ireland.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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