Rory McIlroy is playing the Scottish Open to gear up for the final major of the year.
The Career Grand Slam winner is chasing major championships as the twilight of his career approaches, so he’s playing in Scotland to fine-tune his links game before heading to Royal Birkdale.
McIlroy has already added a major to his tally this year, winning his second-straight Masters at Augusta National. He was in the mix at the PGA Championship but couldn’t make a late charge, and at the US Open, he was out of sorts and not in contention.
His opening round in Scotland presented some promising signs ahead of The Open, as an area of his game that McIlroy has been wrestling with all year looks to be back to its best.
Rory McIlroy’s driving at the Scottish Open is a promising sign for The Open Championship
McIlroy has performed well at the majors this year, but there has been a glaring weakness. His driving accuracy has left him frequently out of position, and that likely cost him a chance of winning at Aronimink.
But round one of the Scottish Open suggests that McIlroy has found some precision with his driver. The fairways at The Renaissance Club are some of the hardest to hit on the PGA Tour, but McIlroy gained over two strokes off the tee on Thursday.
Who can stop Rory McIlroy from winning this week?
Rory is on fire in Scotland 🔥
McIlroy tops the leaderboard at the Scottish Open after 18 holes, shooting a five-under 65. When he’s consistently hitting fairways as one of the longest hitters in the world, there’s very little that can slow the Northern Irishman down.
If he can keep this up throughout the week, it’s a great sign for him ahead of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
Rory McIlroy makes comment about his driving at Scottish Open
McIlroy, who hasn’t been totally comfortable with his driver all year, said he started to find his swing off the tee at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, and it’s been steadily improving from there.
This is his first competitive action since the US Open, so we’re seeing that feeling come to fruition now.
Speaking after his opening round, McIlroy said, “Yeah, I thought for the most part, I played well. I felt like I drove the ball particularly well, and I started to see that at Shinnecock, as well, a couple weeks ago.
“A continuation of putting the ball in play, and then once I do that, I feel like I can attack courses and I can setup scoring opportunities. I did that today. I played the par 5s well. I think I hit all three greens in regulation. You know, one putt dropped for eagle and two 2-putt birdies. That always helps the card.
“Overall, good to get my first round of competitive golf on a links golf course, and it’s obviously a great start to the tournament.”
If he maintains this form there will be no beating the world number two over four days.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
