Stars aling for Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance

The Herald Scotland

05-07-2025

When MacIntyre turned that near miss into a glorious triumph last year, those same grandstands were shoogled to their foundations after propping up a frenzy of thunderous, foot-stamping, hand-clapping jubilation.
'We are trying to figure out what we can do for an encore,' smiled John Sarvadi, the chief executive officer of the Renaissance as it prepares to host the Genesis Scottish Open for a seventh year in a row.
In that time, we've certainly got our money's worth with a championship that will be headlined by MacIntyre, McIlroy and the world No 1, Scottie Scheffler.
The last three champions have all won by a slender one-shot margin while the three before that prevailed in a play-off.
MacIntyre's moment 12 months ago was certainly something to savour as he became the first Scot since Colin Montgomerie in 1999 to conquer in the domestic showpiece.
The Oban left-hander's winning putt on the final green was just about sooked into the cup by the collective will of the entire population of East Lothian.
'Last year was my first as CEO so I take the credit for arranging a Bob MacIntyre win,' added Sarvadi with a chuckle. 'I remember watching him standing over that putt and thinking how great this would be for Scotland and the Renaissance. It was a magical moment for everybody.'
The hot seat Sarvadi snuggled into, of course, used to be the reserve of his older brother, Jerry, a man so steeped in the Renaissance, they should call him Michaelangelo.
'This was his baby, and he had the vision, the passion and the determination to get this place done,' said John of a journey that began 20 years ago when his older sibling negotiated a lease for a 300-acre stretch of linksland just over the wall from Muirfield.
'It was always part of the vision at this club to have a professional event here. Jerry had been involved at Sawgrass and he was always in and around the Players Championship there.
'Our other brother, Paul, is the CEO of Insperity and that company been involved in an event on the Champions Tour for 25 years.
'So, an event was always a goal. But I don't think we could ever have envisaged this.
'In 2018, we hosted final qualifying for The Open. We had the Claret Jug sitting there and I thought that was mission accomplished event wise. But to be here now with a co-sanctioned tour event, a sponsor like Genesis who were a game-changer for us and the very the best players in the world? It's hard to comprehend and we are very proud of that.'
Like everything, you've got to start somewhere and having co-hosted the Boys' Amateur Championship with neighbouring Muirfield in 2016, the Renaissance dipped its toes into the professional scene in 2017 when it welcomed the golden oldies for the Scottish Senior Open.
'Those events were all part of the journey,' reflected Sarvadi. 'You have to earn your stripes as a host venue. We took some steps to prove ourselves, show our mettle and that's how we got to this stage.'
The current deal to host the Genesis Scottish Open runs through to 2026 and Sarvadi is keen to keep the alliance going.
'A lot of the pre-eminent tour events in the world of golf have settled in to a host club,' said Sarvadi, who divides his time between East Lothian and Texas.
'The players like that. They like the familiarity. From a set-up point of view too, the planning is easier as people know what they are doing and working with. The feedback gets better too. Justin Thomas came off last year and said, 'the more I play this course, the more I love it'.'
Such comments are music to the ears. In 2019, though, there were a few bum notes as the aforementioned McIlroy criticised the links for being 'too easy.' He would change his tune, of course, and ended up hitting the high notes with victory in 2023.
Taking the rough with the smooth is par for the course as a tournament host.
'We get feedback every year,' said Sarvadi of these constructive comments. 'We assess it, we get the data were shots end up and we factor all that in. We got Padraig Harrington in as a player consultant and he works with the course designer Tom Doak.
'But it's not just about the Scottish Open. We have to keep it playable for the members while providing a good test for the pros. So, there are always tweaks.
"We have changed some lines, added bunkers, rough, mounding, a few tees for more options in different conditions. It's like a big painting. You're never quite finished with your masterpiece.'
Golf has been a big part of the Sarvadi family for years. 'It was the one thing us brothers could do together without fighting and arguing,' said Sarvadi with a chortle as he reflected on this healthy sibling rivalry that existed in this hugely successful triumvirate.
There is deeper meaning to the Renaissance project too. 'Our father loved everything about golf,' added the 59-year-old who spent a distinguished career in the banking sector. 'The course and the club is a family legacy; a tribute to his love of the game and what it taught us.
'My 35-year career in banking was wonderful but it doesn't come close to this. I would never have dreamed that this would be my second career.
'When Jerry decided to slow down and we discussed succession, my brothers kept looking at me. It was a great opportunity and something of an obligation too.
'It's a special project; one that helps us give back to the game and one that's in honour of our father too.'
While the Renaissance prepares to welcome the world's best again, we are still waiting to hear about the return of The Open to Muirfield.
Imagine that? Finish up the Scottish Open on the Sunday night and hop next door for a week at The Open?
'The are reasons to do it, there are reasons not to,' said Sarvadi. 'The R&A obviously have a big say in that as would the tours. I did ask some of the players and officials about it and they said they've love to have it back-to-back.
'They could set up in East Lothian for a couple of weeks. Those are on-going discussions.'
There should be plenty of golfing affairs to discuss next week. For the golf scribblers, there should be plenty to write about too.
Encore, please.