Rory McIlroy birdied the final two holes on Sunday at the Rennaisance Golf Club to claim a one-stroke victory at the Genesis Scottish Open, clipping native son Robert MacIntyre by a single stroke.
McIlroy finished on 15-under 265. The win moved the controversial Northern Irishman to No. 2 in the world rankings, jumping ahead of Jon Rahm.
How McIlroy Pulled Off the Win
McIlroy was one shot behind MacIntyre when he played the slope to near perfection on the par-3 17th for a 4-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead. Then he delivered what McIlroy called his best shot of the year — a 2-iron into the wind to 10 feet for a final birdie. [AP]
What Winning Means to McIlroy
The victory came at an ideal time. McIlroy heads south to Royal Liverpool for the Open Championship, where he tries to end his nine-year drought in the majors. McIlroy won the claret jug the last time The Open was played at Royal Liverpool in 2014. [AP]
What Rory Said
“That was such a tough day — so tough. To play that back nine in 4-under par to win the tournament, I’m really proud of how I stuck in there. I hit some amazing shots down the stretch. It feels incredible. It’s been a long six months, I feel, since I won in Dubai. I’ve given myself tons of chances, and hopefully this win sort of breaks the seal for me, especially going into next week.”
What MacIntyre Said
“I’ll never forget it. I had to take a minute coming off 18. If not The Open, the Scottish Open will be up there with the event I want to play for the rest of my life. It’s one I’ve dreamed of winning since I watched at home, and I thought today coming down once I birdied 18, I thought, this might be the one. But it’s not to be just now. Rory McIlroy’s potentially the best in the world, and he showed why today.”
Scottish Open Leaderboard: Top 10
Pos-Player-Score (Final Rd)
1. Rory McIlroy -15 (-4)
2. Robert MacIntyre -14 (-8)
3. Byeong Hun An -10 (-2)
3. David Lingmerth -10 (-4)
3. Scottie Scheffler -10 (-2)
6. J.T. Poston -9 (-1)
6. Nicolai Højgaard -9 (-5)
6. Tom Kim -9 (+1)
6. Tommy Fleetwood -9 (E)
6. Tyrrell Hatton -9 (-3)
Credits: AP, Getty Images, ESPN
