The Order of Merit regular season hit the halfway point in May with the conclusion of the MCM @ Pitfirrane. So, far this year the competition across the field has been highly competitive and this is reflected in the overall Order of Merit standings, with just 1,350 points separating the top 5 players.

The field turn their attention to the Dodhead Invitational, played at Burntisland Golf Club. This event has been characterised most years by a runaway leader, who has just blown the field wide open and left all standing in their wake. Also, oddly it is the only event in the Order of Merit that has been won by the same two players ever year.

In 2021 Stuart Allan won with a – still tournament record 62 – and was followed by back-to-back wins for David McColgan, but in 2024 Allan returned with a 66 to reclaim the title.

In terms of the course, it is well known to the field, with as many as 7 Tour players once calling Burntisland their home course, with all this in mind and the overall level of competition on the Tour rising event after event it feels like the 2025 Dodhead Invitational might be one of the best yet.

Before we get into the predictions, there are notable absences this event with just 13 Order of Merit players teeing it up. Leading the list of absences is Paul Gowens, the MCM @ Pitffirane winner in May and current second place on the overall standings will not be teeing it up and missing the event also is Stuart Sutherland, two-time OoM winner in 2024 and currently ranked 7th in the overall standings.

EuroDov Reporter sat down and poured over the data to bring you their predictions for the 2025 Dodhead Invitational.

Stuart Allan
Odds: 2/1
Notes: Ok Allan hasn’t had the best start to an Order of Merit season by his standards but there is no denying he’s got the game to win around Burntisland.

He holds the tournament record with a 62 and it is easy to see why, he’s powerful of the tee, and his high towering irons suit the fir and fast greens perfectly.

There’ll be questions around his game for sure, but Allan will be relishing a return to a tournament that holds many positive thoughts.

David McColgan & Richard Mair
Odds: 3/1
Notes: Hot on Allan’s heels it not a surprise to see the pair of David McColgan and Richard Mair.
McColgan has won twice here, in 2022 & 2023, he was a member at Burntisland for a number of years and probably boasts the most course knowledge out of the entire field.

McColgan has been relentless in 2024 winning the St Andrews Open and Kinghorn Classic and he’ll see this as an opportunity to get another win and extend his lead over Gowens Senior who is not playing this week.

Richard Mair on the other hand has far less course knowledge but his steady game and approach to the course will be key. Mair rarely finds trouble but plots his way around the course staying patient and taking his opportunities, a strength that might be needed if the wind blows upon the Dodhead.

Kevin Brannan & Daniel Peck
Odds: 4/1
Notes: Brannan is playing some great golf after his return from a broken wrist, again a former member, so knows the course well. His strength around Burntisland will be his exceptional control of the Driver, hitting the big stick arrow straight and taking advantage of those short approaches into the greens.

If Peck can avoid a 9 on the first and a trouser malfunction, he might be in the mindset to push on and win his first ever EuroDov Tour title. It is astonishing that Peck hasn’t won yet on Tour, he has the game to do it and Burntisland might just be the perfect setting for the win.

Callum McNeill & Stevie Orr
Odds: 5/1
Notes: McNeill has had a real up and down season, but historically he turns it on in the second half of the season and whilst he can be a bit erratic on the course Burntisland’s more open fairways gives him an opportunity to play a bit more freely. And we all know when McNeill is on, he’s on, so watch this space.

Orr is a two-time winner on the Order of Merit and won at totally different venues – Kinghorn and Canmore – showing the versatility of his game. He came close at the MCM and was runner-up at Kinghorn, there is no denying his game is in a great place and he’s on the cusp of his third win in as many years.

Greig Baxter, Alan Duncan, Denis Duncan & Ally Greenshields
Odds: 7/1
Notes: Ok big group here, and whilst they are outside bets, they’ve all got form.

Baxter, like McColgan, was a member at Burntisland for many years, he knows he can go low around here and his skill in shaping the golf ball comes in handy around the tighter spots of this course. He’s not lit the heather on fire in 2025 but a strong Carnegie Cup showing might just inspire him to a win on June 1st.

Alan Duncan is a winner on Tour, he’s done it on one of the hardest courses the field plays – the Eden at St Andrews – his carefree game allows him to bounce back from setbacks, which await you around nearly every corner at Burntisland and that resilience could be the difference between winning and losing.

Denis Duncan will be looking to bounce back after a poor showing at the MCM, it was a hard one for him to take but the resilience he showed in winning his morning and afternoon matches at the Carnegie Cup shows us he’s got what it takes to win in 2025.

Ally Greenshields might be enjoying one of his best starts to an Order of Merit season sitting in 8th place. His cavalier approach to the game is definitely suited to more open courses, which he’ll find in stretches around Burntisland, but the big question mark is his ability in poor weather, if the winds come, he could be struggling out there.

Scott Gowens & Jim Robertson
Odds: 8/1
Notes: Scott isn’t enjoying a fast start to his Order of Merit career, but he needs to dig deep on his positive experiences in Q-School in 2024. He’s got the game, and the experience around Burntisland to help him with a strong performance. He’ll be looking at a top 5 finish as a positive result in 2025 but if he finds himself at the top of the table, no one will be surprised.

Jim Robertson is one of the most loved players on Tour, he’s still recovering from a health scare in 2024 and is building back stronger and stronger. He’ll be looking to come out and consolidate his first two performances of the 2025 season but the higher he finds himself on the leaderboard the happier the field will undoubtedly be.

Well, there we have it folks a preview of the runners and riders of the 2025 Dodhead Invitational. Joi us for all the news, insight and analysis from the event on June 1st.