Rory McIlroy wins Scottish Open by one shot after making birdies on last two holes

Rory McIlroy birdied the final two holes in whipping wind Sunday for a 2-under 68 to win the Genesis Scottish Openhis first victory on Scottish soil, and take a load of confidence into the ultimate main of the yr.

McIlroy was one shot behind Robert MacIntyre when he performed the slope to close perfection on the par-3 seventeenth for a 4-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead. Then, he delivered what McIlroy referred to as his finest shot of the yr — a 2-iron into the wind to 10 toes for a remaining birdie.

It was a heartbreaker for MacIntyre, who was attempting to win his nationwide open and delivered a category shot of his personal. MacIntyre hammered a 3-wood from the tough on the 18th gap at The Renaissance Membership to 4 toes, pumping each fists when it dropped for a 64.

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It was a outstanding closing spherical given the wind that was tough and relentless off the Firth of Forth, and it regarded for the longest time that it will give the 26-year-old MacIntyre the signature victory of his younger profession.

As a substitute it was McIlroy, who performed the robust again 9 in 31 and capped it off with two clutch birdies for his first win because the Dubai Desert Traditional.

The victory got here at a really perfect time. McIlroy heads south to Royal Liverpool for the British Openthe place he tries to finish his nine-year drought within the majors. McIlroy received the claret jug the final time The Open was performed at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

“That was such a tricky day — so robust,” McIlroy mentioned. “To play that again 9 in 4-under par to win the match, I am actually happy with how I caught in there. I hit some superb photographs down the stretch. It feels unimaginable. It has been an extended six months, I really feel, since I received in Dubai. I’ve given myself tons of possibilities, and hopefully this win kind of breaks the seal for me, particularly going into subsequent week.”

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Rory McIlroy celebrates finishing his spherical on day 4 of the Genesis Scottish Open 2023 golf match at The Renaissance Membership, North Berwick, Britain, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (Jane Barlow/PA by way of AP)

McIlroy completed at 15-under 265 and moved previous Jon Rahm to No. 2 on this planet.

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 participant on this planet, closed with a 70 and tied for third with Byeong Hun An (70) and David Lingmerth (68). Scheffler has completed among the many high 5 in his final seven tournaments, two of them majors.

An and Lingmerth obtained a comfort prize by incomes spots within the British Open, awarded to the main three gamers not already exempt. The ultimate spot went to Nicolai Hojgaard (67), who will be part of twin brother Rasmus at Royal Liverpool.

The Scottish crowd had been chanting MacIntyre’s identify all week round The Renaissance Membership, and so they roared when he delivered the 3-wood and birdie putt to the 18th, one of many hardest closing holes on tour.

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Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy lifts the trophy following day 4 of the Genesis Scottish Open 2023 golf match at The Renaissance Membership, North Berwick, Britain, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (Jane Barlow/PA by way of AP)

MacIntyre was so caught up within the second he needed to maintain again tears leaving the inexperienced.

“I’ll always remember it. I needed to take a minute coming off 18,” he mentioned. “If not The Open, the Scottish Open will likely be up there with the occasion I need to play for the remainder of my life. It’s one I’ve dreamed of profitable since I watched at residence, and I believed immediately coming down as soon as I birdied 18, I believed, this could be the one. However it’s to not be simply now.

“Rory McIlroy’s doubtlessly the perfect on this planet, and he confirmed why immediately.”

McIlroy matched him with a shot each bit pretty much as good.

He was 201 yards from the pin, lifeless into the wind, an ideal 3-iron for him — besides that McIlroy determined to interchange his 3-iron with a 2-iron for the windy week.

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Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy reacts after a pitch on day 4 of the Genesis Scottish Open 2023 golf match at The Renaissance Membership, North Berwick, Britain, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (Jane Barlow/PA by way of AP)

“The 4-iron was solely getting me to the entrance edge,” McIlroy mentioned. He wanted to hit a 2-iron with a little bit minimize and a little bit peak to let the wind take off a few of the distance, and “it got here off completely completely.”

“It is most likely the perfect shot I’ve hit all yr,” McIlroy mentioned. “If you hit a shot like that, I really feel like I deserved to gap the putt to complete it off like that.”

The match was co-sanctioned by the European tour and the PGA Tour. McIlroy expanded his lead atop the Race to Dubai, although he nonetheless has work to do to catch as much as Rahm and Scheffler within the FedEx Cup.