McIlroy switches focus to British Open after runner-up finish in Scotland
Rory McIlroy was delighted with his form at the Scottish Open after finishing runner-up to American Chris Gotterup on Sunday and the Northern Irishman said his game is in a good place heading into the British Open at Royal Portrush this week.
McIlroy was looking to become the first player to win the Masters and Scottish Open in the same season but finished two shots behind world number 158 Gotterup at the Renaissance Club, tied with Marco Penge for second place.
The 36-year-old has struggled to find his best form after completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April, and said in June he had not known how hard it would be to stay motivated.
However, after a strong performance in North Berwick, the five-time major champion said he was now ready to fully focus on the Open from July 17-20 in Northern Ireland.
"I'm really happy with where everything is," McIlroy, who won the Open in 2014, told reporters.
"Looking forward to getting to Portrush tonight and getting out onto the golf course early tomorrow and just turning my attention to that.
"I'm really happy with where my game is, the way I played over the weekend, the shots that I hit, how I controlled my ball flight.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world
Singapore Special edition SG60 Nets card now on sale for $10
Singapore Same person, but different S'porean Chinese names? How have such naming practices evolved?
Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate
Singapore Jail for woman who opened bank accounts that received over $640.7m, including scam proceeds
Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run accident in Hougang
Sport After Olympic heartbreak, Singaporean swimmer Chantal Liew turns pain into inspiration
Business From wellness zone to neurodivergent room: How companies are creating inviting, inclusive offices
"It has been a great week. Missing the trophy, that's about it," added the world number two, who missed the cut at the Open last year at Royal Troon. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Rejuvenated Stokes leads England to epic Lord's win
LONDON - England captain Ben Stokes was named player of the match after taking five wickets in his team's dramatic 22-run victory over India in the third test at Lord's as well as scoring 44 and 33 and running out the dangerous Rishabh Pant in a splendid all-round performance. Stokes, 34, underwent a successful operation on as torn hamstring in December followed by a rigorous physical fitness programme during which he lost 10 kilograms in weight. On Sunday he showed he was back to his best with the ball, knocking nightwatchman Akash Deep's off stump out of the ground as England captured three wickets in the final 30 minutes with India chasing 193 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. He resumed the attack from the Nursery End in Monday's morning session, bounding in for 80 minutes and capturing the key wicket of KL Rahul with a delivery which swung in late to trap the Indian opener for 39 after winning a review when his impassioned appeal was turned down. The television review showed the ball would have crashed into the leg stump and he continued to bowl at speeds consistently in excess of 85 miles an hour before handing the ball to Chris Woakes for the final 20 minutes of the morning session. An obdurate ninth-wicket stand between Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, cheered vociferously by the Indian supporters in a packed Lord's, frustrated England for most of the afternoon before Stokes had Bumrah caught skying a hook to mid-on. He finished with three for 46 from 24 overs, the most bowled by any England bowler, and switched his fielders constantly before racing to embrace his team mates when last man Mohammed Siraj played the ball on to his stumps. "I've taken myself to some pretty dark places," Stoke said after the match concluded in bright sunshine before a capacity crowd at the home of cricket. "But if bowling for your country to a test match win doesn't get you excited, I don't know what does. I was cooked yesterday but nothing was stopping me. I'm an all-rounder, I get four opportunities to influence the game." "I'd like to score more runs but you don't have a chance to worry about anything. Now I'm going to be looking forward to lying in my bed for four days." REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
England hold nerve to sink India in Lord's thriller
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Cricket - International Test Match Series - Third Test - England v India - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - July 14, 2025 England's Shoaib Bashir celebrates with teammates after taking the last wicket of India's Mohammed Siraj to win the test Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra LONDON - England stayed calm under intense pressure to beat India by 22 runs on a final day of simmering tension and drama in the third test at Lord's on Monday and move 2-1 up in the series. Shoaib Bashir bowled Mohammed Siraj for four to seal victory, India's number 11 playing a defensive stroke before the ball trickled down the face of his bat and rolled on to the stumps as he watched on in disbelief. As the England players celebrated wildly, Ravindra Jadeja trudged off the field having made a valiant unbeaten 61 to take India to the brink of an extraordinary win. "I probably bowled a few more overs than I thought I would but I am glad to get the win today on this special day," England fast bowler Jofra Archer said. "Honestly, I thought one of us would win by lunch. It dragged on a bit." The hosts had looked on course for a far more comfortable victory when they reduced India to 112-8 at lunch, but Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah battled for nearly two hours to inch their team towards a target of 193. Jadeja was given out lbw to Chris Woakes by the umpire but the decision was overturned on review and the left-hander heaved the next delivery over mid-wicket for six, prompting loud cheers from the Indian fans. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Public healthcare institutions to record all Kpod cases, confiscate vapes: MOH, HSA Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat England finally made the breakthrough when Bumrah, on five, skied an attempted pull off man-of-the-match Ben Stokes and was caught by substitute fielder Sam Cook. The majority of the crowd erupted with a mixture of joy and relief but Jadeja continued to frustrate England, reaching his 50, off 150 balls, by edging Stokes over the slips for four. Siraj survived 30 deliveries for his four runs as Jadeja farmed the bowling and took a succession of singles off the fourth ball of the over to dominate the strike. Siraj suffered a painful blow to his shoulder after being struck by an Archer delivery and shortly afterwards his resistance was finally broken. "To make a comeback like this was tremendous from Ravindra Jadeja and the lower order," India captain Shubman Gill said. "It was an anti-climax for us the way Mohammed Siraj went. We needed a couple of partnerships in our top order and that didn't happen for us." ENGLAND'S MORNING England had claimed four wickets in the morning to take charge of the match after India resumed on 58-4. Rishabh Pant played a strange one-handed straight drive for four off Archer to move to nine, but the fast bowler responded two balls later with an excellent delivery which uprooted his off stump. Stokes snared KL Rahul lbw for 39, the England captain dropping to his knees and imploring the umpire to give him out. He refused to do so but England called for a review and the decision was overturned to huge cheers from the crowd. Washington Sundar was next to fall for a duck, Archer leaping to his right to take a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling. Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy frustrated England with solid defence in a partnership of 30 until Woakes found the edge of Reddy's bat just before lunch to give the hosts a huge lift as they left the field to warm applause from a packed crowd. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
EU threatens countermeasures over US tariffs, Trump says he is open to talks
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A U.S. flag flutters in front of shipping containers at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California, U.S., July 11, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON - The European Union on Monday accused the U.S. of resisting efforts to strike a trade deal and warned of countermeasures if no agreement is reached to avoid the punishing tariffs President Donald Trump has threatened to impose starting on August 1. Trump, meanwhile, said he was open to further discussions with the EU and other trading partners before new 30% tariffs kick in next month and that EU officials would be coming to the United States for negotiations. "They would like to do a different kind of a deal and we're always open to talk, including to Europe," he told reporters in the Oval Office. "In fact, they're coming over. They'd like to talk." Trump stepped up his trade war on Saturday, saying he would impose a 30% tariff on most imports from the EU and Mexico next month, following similar warnings for other countries including Asian economic powerhouses Japan and South Korea. The EU has so far held off on retaliatory measures to avoid a spiralling tit-for-tat escalation while there remains a chance of negotiating an improved outcome. But EU ministers emerging from a meeting in Brussels on Monday appeared closer to striking back. Speaking at a news conference following the meeting, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the tariff threat "absolutely unacceptable." EU Trade Chief Maros Sefcovic said he believed there was "still a potential to continue the negotiations" but voiced frustration with Washington's failure to agree to a deal with its largest trading partner. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Public healthcare institutions to record all Kpod cases, confiscate vapes: MOH, HSA Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat "As I said before, it takes two hands to clap," he said, adding that EU member states agreed that the 27-nation bloc would need to take countermeasures if the trade negotiations with the U.S. fail. Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani earlier said the EU had already prepared a list of tariffs worth 21 billion euros ($24.5 billion) on U.S. goods if the two sides fail to reach a deal. Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that she believed the two sides would reach a deal on security ahead of the August 1 deadline. The White House has clarified that the 30% tariffs on Mexico, which Trump has blamed for not doing more to stem the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., would not apply to goods shipped under the USMCA trade agreement, which covers the vast majority of goods shipped from Mexico to the U.S. Sheinbaum said any agreement would not involve U.S. forces entering Mexican territory, as previously floated by Trump. EUROPEAN STOCKS DIP White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said trade talks were still under way with the European Union, Canada and Mexico. Canada is facing a tariff of 35% starting in August. The threatened duties have sounded alarm bells in Europe, notably in Germany, the EU's biggest economy. After Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday that a 30% tariff would "hit the German export industry to the core", the head of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for swift action. "The escalating tariff conflict with the USA poses a serious threat to many German companies," Volker Treier said on Monday. "Tough negotiations are now needed to avert a collapse of transatlantic trade." European industries, meanwhile, are preparing for the worst. Producers of Italy's renowned Chianti wine in Tuscany, for example, have demanded a new export strategy backed by the EU targeting alternative markets such as South America, Asia and Africa. Since returning to the White House earlier this year, Trump has sought to use an array of tariffs to boost the U.S. economy, push companies to invest in the United States and revitalise manufacturing. His initial "Liberation Day" tariff announcement in April, which set a baseline tariff of 10% on all imports and higher duties on certain products or countries, raised fears of global supply chain disruptions, sending shockwaves through markets. But subsequent U-turns and delays, including a 90-day pause on most duties aimed at allowing time for trade deal negotiations, have left investors largely inured to Trump's chaotic policy rollouts. European stocks fell on Monday, while U.S. indices were little changed in response to the latest salvo. European autos and alcohol stocks were among those hardest hit. SCRAMBLE FOR DEALS The looming August 1 deadline has set off a scramble by governments around the world to seal trade agreements. South Korea's top trade envoy said on Monday it may be possible to strike a deal "in principle" by the deadline and signalled that Seoul may be open to allowing the U.S. greater access to its agriculture markets, local media reported. Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, who held high-level talks with U.S. officials last week, said South Korea was seeking to avoid "unfair" U.S. tariffs on key sectors that would undermine industrial cooperation with its main security ally and trading partner, media reports said. "I believe it's possible to reach an agreement in principle in the U.S. tariff negotiations, and then take some time to negotiate further," the Newsis news agency quoted Yeo as telling local media reporters. "Twenty days are not enough to come up with a perfect treaty that contains every detail," he added. South Korea is in a race to reach a compromise trade pact in the hope of avoiding a 25% tariff slapped on its exports, the same level faced by Japan. REUTERS
