Despite Late Bogey, Rors Savours The Scottish Open Meltdown Conditions

4 months ago by Comments Off on Despite Late Bogey, Rors Savours The Scottish Open Meltdown Conditions

Former champ Rory McIlroy spoke on day one of the Genesis Scottish Open of a renewed sense of excitement and enthusiasm heading into the final few months of his Grand Slam winning season.

Rors showed that in birdieing his closing three holes on Thursday and he’s now carried that on into day three of the co-sanctioned DP World Tour and PGA Tour event on the host Renaissance course to the east of Edinburgh.

Indeed McIlroy’s put himself very well in contention not only for a second Scottish Open title in three years but also fourth victory this year and what you could argue, a long over first W since winning the Masters last April.

Despite a penultimte hole bogey, McIlroy took to the conditions more akin to the sun-drenched French Riviera than Scotland,  signing for five=under 65 and head to a well-earned lunch at seven-under-par and four behind American Chris Gotterup, with the current World No. 158 brilliantly equallying the course record thanks his nine-under 69.

Gotterup, 25,  capped his round with five birdies in his opening seven holes as the Maryland-born but now living in Oklahoma golfer and last year’s Myrtly Beach Classic champ seeks a second PGA Tour victory title.

Entland’s Harry Hall signed for a 64 to be second place at second under and one fewere than former US Open winning Matt Fitzpatrick who headed to coolness of the clubhouse with 63 to be at eight-under.

Hall ended the day tied in second place tied with countryman Marco Penge (67) and Swede Ludwig Abert (65).

McIlroy capped his day in heading out from the 10th hole and birdieing five of his opening seven holes.   It was not till his 14th he picked-up at sixth birdie ahead of dropping a shot at the eighth on the scorecard when he three-putted from 60-feet and then ended his day with a par at the par-3 ninth or his 18th.

“I got off to a bit of a flyer”, said McIlroy.

“The conditions were so benign this morning, hardly any wind. And the wind started to pick up a little bit on the back nine for us but still very, very manageable. I started to struggle a little bit. Hit a couple of wayward drives but did well to scramble for pars.

“Yeah, and disappointing to drop one coming in there but overall it’s a really good score and puts me right into the thick of things going into the weekend”.

And McIlroy continued….

Q. Was there any carryover from the way you finished the first round with three straight birdies?

RORY McILROY: Certainly a bit of momentum coming off the finish last night. I continue to, I hit two good shots into the 10th hole, which was our first and sort of got going from there. I mean, the conditions this morning, I felt like if we didn’t play the first nine in three for 4-under you’re losing strokes to the field.

It was nice to play in those conditions. A little bit of breeze that got up coming in, enough to make you think a little bit. I think the guys are going to get probably have it a touch tougher this afternoon. It was nice to get the best out of the conditions today.

Q. How are you feeling going into weekend?

RORY McILROY: I’m feeling pretty good. I did a lot of good things today. Still a couple of loose shots here and there but overall I thought it was a good day and obviously excited for the weekend right in the thick of things, in contention going into the last two days, and you know that’s where if there is anything you need to work on in your game that’s where it’s going to show when you’re under that sort of pressure trying to win a golf tournament. I’m looking forward to that.

Q. Can we say that the rust has been shed?

RORY McILROY: Most of it. As I said there’s still a few loose shots in there but for the most part it was a good day. I held a lot of putts. I did most things pretty well. So yeah it was a good day for that and as I said, getting into contention and then seeing how your game holds up when you’re in the thick of things, trying to win a golf tournament, I think that tells you a lot more about where you are than just the first two days of a tournament.

Q. ? Important to have given your receive that platform?

RORY McILROY: Absolutely, there’s no better with a I to know where your game is. It’s one thing getting a card in your hand and it’s another to get in contention and playing in the last few groups. I’m excited for the weekend.

Q. It was this day last year we were discussing Keegan and the Ryder Cup captaincy and you were category I can that it’s impossible in this era to be a playing captain. Now a year on it looks quite likely it’s going to happen.

RORY McILROY: Hopefully it is impossible. (Laughter) Keegan has played great. He’s had a great year. He had the win at the Travelers. Obviously I’m not in those conversations and from an outside perspective, it’s going to be interesting to see what the U.S. Team does with that. I definitely think the U.S. Team is better with Keegan playing than not playing. I definitely think he’s one of the best 12 American players right now. It’s going to be an interesting couple months to see how that all shakes out.

Q. What would it mean to you to go head-to-head with Bob on Sunday?

RORY McILROY: It would be amazing, three years in a row where the two of us would be right in contention. Yeah, I would love that. That would be a wonderful opportunity. Again, talking about getting yourself right into the thick of continuation, that brings another level of pressure and meaning to things. Hopefully Bob can have a good day and get right back into it this weekend.

Q. What do you think of his second place at the U.S. Open?

RORY McILROY: It was a funny U.S. Open. I felt like there were ten players that could have won coming down the back nine. He hung in. He’s a fighter and he’s gritty. Those are things he sort of prides himself on. So it was no surprise he was up there at Oakmont. I thought he did amazingly well, and J.J. doing what he did the last couple holes, I don’t think Bob could have any complaints. He played a great last round and a great tournament and just unfortunately beaten by the better guy that day.

Q. Spoke to Luke a couple days ago, and he said that Bob has blossomed since Rome two years ago. Have you seen him develop as a player and a person?

RORY McILROY: I believe so. Look at what he’s done since Rome. He’s won his National Open. He’s won the Canadian Open. He had a great chance at winning the U.S. Open. So yeah, he has. He’s blossomed as a player because of that and we always say in Europe, if you do play a Ryder Cup, it is a platform to go on because there’s no sort of bigger pressure or atmosphere that you face than a Ryder Cup.

Q. More than an individual performance, do you think?

RORY McILROY: I think so. If i was the last match out on the course, if I had to win the last hole to win the Ryder Cup, I’d be sh-tting myself, yeah. Yeah, I think there is more pressure.

Q. With Keegan, is it a case that it’s thought of differently in Europe than America?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think they give the captaincy — it’s a different perspective, absolutely. It really feels like it’s a player-led team in America, and obviously we have our input as player on The European Team but we do have that one figurehead in Luke. I think that’s important. I think even going back to Rome, when the Americans got off to a pretty rough start, I think because Zach gave the team so much ownership, they had no one to look to. They were looking at each other instead of having a focal point, tell us what to do. That is something that Europe has done very, very well. But also the players have allowed the captain to be a captain as well.

Q. Scottish weather — what’s it been like?

RORY McILROY: It’s been amazing. Great atmosphere. So many people out there at half eight in the morning, 22 degrees and sun is shining. Nice way to spend a Friday afternoon. It’s been amazing and hopefully the same over the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 



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