Latest news with #RORYMCILROY
The 42
5 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
McIlroy shares Scottish Open lead heading into final round after brilliant 66
RORY MCILROY PUT himself in pole position to win the Scottish Open after he carded a fine four-under par 66 at the Renaissance Club. The world number two landed five birdies, and just one bogey, to leave him on 11-under par for the tournament, and a share of the overnight lead with American Chris Gotterup. England's Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge are two shots back following rounds of 69, tied for third with Americans Wyndham Clark and Jake Knapp. McIlroy landed his first birdie at the par-five third before dropping a shot at the seventh. However, he bounced back by picking up a shot on the next hole before further birdies at the 10th and par-three 14th. Advertisement The Northern Irishman appeared in slight trouble on the par-five 16th after a wayward drive ended in the deep rough. But a beautiful approach allowed him to roll in a straight uphill birdie putt. He set himself up with another birdie chance at the following par three only to see his putt sail agonisingly wide. A perfect 340-yard tee shot at the concluding hole put him in the driving seat once more, but again his birdie attempt rolled narrowly past the hole. However, McIlroy's encouraging performance – with clear signs of him being back at his best – comes at a crucial time with The Open at Royal Portrush to follow next week. It also marks a significant improvement on McIlroy's form since he won the Masters in April to complete the Grand Slam. And he said on Sky Sports: 'It is my first realistic chance to win after the Masters. 'I have had a great season but yes, and I have said this before, when you do something you that have dreamt of for your whole life, and then do it, it was a huge moment in my life and career. 'I just need that little bit of time, and to be back here for the last couple of weeks and digest all of it, I feel like I came here for this tournament with renewed enthusiasm and excitement for the rest of the year.' World number 158 Gotterup equalled the course record with nine birdies in a bogey-free 61 on Friday to start the third day two shots clear. However, he will start the final day on level terms with McIlroy following a level-par round featuring two birdies and the same number of bogeys. Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington is on one-over after a third round of 72 which included four bogeys along with birdies on the fifth and 10th holes.
The 42
6 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
McIlroy moves into contention at Scottish Open with second-round 65
RORY MCILROY ROARED into contention on the second day of a sun-drenched Scottish Open, carding a five-under 65 to catapult himself into a tie for fourth place. He trails clubhouse leader Chris Gotterup by four shots, however, with the American tying the course record with a stunning 61. McIlroy ignited a fitful opening round yesterday evening with birdies on all of his final three holes, and he carried the same momentum into his second round, birdieing five of his opening seven holes. Advertisement Where he hit the gas across his opening nine holes – having teed off on 10 – McIlroy spent the rest of his round on the back foot. With drives leaking away from the fairway, McIlroy scrambled admirably to play his back nine in even par, with a birdie on the fifth hole – McIlroy's 14th – undone with a bogey on his penultimate hole. McIlroy explained his inaccuracy off the tee is partly explained by his desire to be aggressive wherever he can. 'I got off to a flyer' he told Sky Sports, 'conditions were so benign this morning. Then the wind picked up a little on the back nine but it was still very manageable. I started to struggle and hit a couple of wayward drives, but overall it's a really good score and it puts me into the thick of things for the weekend. 'Take the first hole, our 10th, the two boys [playing partners Schauffele and Hovland] hit irons to stay short of the bunker, but if I feel if I hit a good drive I can carry that bunker and get a wedge in. The rough isn't too bad and, honestly, being aggressive off the tee on links courses and taking the bunkers out of play if the rough isn't too bad has always been a pretty good strategy for me. So I am sticking with that for the week. Sometimes it gets you in trouble but it mostly works out quite well.' Though right in the mix for the weekend, McIlroy has ground to make up on Gotterup, who carded a nine-birdie round of 61, leaving a final putt for the course record short of the hole. Padraig Harrington is in action in the afternoon wave. You can follow the live leaderboard here.
The 42
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Rory McIlroy eager to tackle Scottish Open after break from PGA Tour ‘grind'
RORY MCILROY HOPES going into hiding for a couple of weeks has helped him recharge as he prepares for the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club. Masters champion McIlroy has taken a break since finishing in a tie for sixth at the Travelers Championship last month, which saw a welcome upturn in form following a testing run since his Augusta triumph. Advertisement Having settled into a new family home in Wentworth, McIlroy feels being able to get away from the 'grind' of the PGA Tour circuit has sharpened his focus on a strong run again in North Berwick ahead of his challenge for another Open crown at Royal Portrush. 'The one thing I would say about the last couple of weeks is I felt like I could detach a little bit more and sort of hide in a way,' the world number two said at a press conference. 'Sometimes you need that to completely get away. I feel like this world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it. 'Justin Rose and I came up here together yesterday and we were just chatting about how there is a detachment from the sort of week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here, from when you play PGA Tour for that sort of first 25 to 30 weeks of the year. 'It has been lovely to get back and see some familiar faces, and is the first time back playing in the UK since what happened at Augusta, which is a really nice feeling as well.' McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open in 2023 and then finished tied fourth last year, added: 'I don't think I started out too well here, but I have learned how to play the course a little bit better. 'Obviously I had that great finish in 2023, then played well again last year, so I am looking forward to getting out there tomorrow.'
The 42
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Rory McIlroy two shots off early clubhouse leader at Travelers Championship
RORY MCILROY made an impressive start to the Travelers Championship to sit two shots off the early clubhouse lead. The Masters champion had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive note following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. The Northern Irishman, who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open, had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. Advertisement World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th saw him finish six-under with 64, to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 15th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. Meanwhile, Shane Lowry is one over par at the time of writing after completing eight holes. The Offaly native has had an inconsistent start with bogeys on the first and seventh offset by a birdie on the third. England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. World number one Scottie Scheffler, defending his Travelers Championship title, has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun in the later starters. You can view the full leaderboard here. More to follow
The 42
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Rory McIlroy hoping to travel well in Connecticut as The Open looms
RORY MCILROY hopes this week's Travelers Championship proves less of a grind as the Masters champion looks to get back into the groove ahead of The Open. It has not been the smoothest of returns to action for the Northern Irishman following his Augusta triumph in April, which completed a long-awaited career Grand Slam. The 36-year-old saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before he missed the cut at the Canadian Open. It was also tough going for McIlroy at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course, where he battled to make it into the weekend before eventually tying for 19th. McIlroy, though, played his best golf of the week during Sunday's final round, where his three-under-par 67 was the joint best of the day. After playing at the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Connecticut, McIlroy will head back to the UK for a break before the Scottish Open and then mount his challenge for another Open crown at Royal Portrush in County Antrim. With plenty of background noise having again followed him at Oakmont, McIlroy hopes to be able to stay focused on the job at hand at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of the season. Advertisement 'I think the weeks after major championships in these events, sometimes when you are in contention and you are trying to win them, it can feel quite difficult to go play the next week,' McIlroy told a press conference at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. 'After a week like I had at Oakmont, where you are not quite in the mix but you might feel you find something in your game, you are excited to come back and play again. 'This is the perfect sort of chaser for what Oakmont was last week, and nice to get out on a golf course where you feel you can make quite a few birdies.' McIlroy added: 'There are a lot of guys in the field this week where this is their fourth tournament in a row, so they have been put through the wringer the last few weeks. 'This is a welcome set-up where they feel like they can relax a little bit and not have to grind so much for your score.' World number two McIlroy is set to head out to India for the new DP Tour event during October, as well as back to Melbourne for the Australian Open at the start of December. As to whether Manchester United fan McIlroy will get the chance to bring the Green Jacket to Old Trafford any time soon, that remains to be seen. 'Probably not. I don't know if I will have the opportunity. If I do have the opportunity, I would like to. Yeah, we will see,' McIlroy said. McIlroy will tee off alongside American Keegan Bradley on Thursday morning. World number one Scottie Scheffler will defend his Travelers Championship title and has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun for the opening round. 'I didn't have my best stuff last week but was still able to get a decent finish,' said Scheffler, who tied for seventh at Oakmont. 'I have felt good about my prep work so far this week and I'm excited to get the tournament started.' Spaun admitted it had been 'pretty hectic' and 'crazy' since lifting the US Open trophy on Sunday. But the 34-year-old is not about to take things easy when he heads back out on the course. 'I definitely need to keep the hunger there. I think I will have the hunger just because I want to continue to prove myself, but not prove myself to anybody other than myself,' he said. 'As long as I keep that up, I think I will continue to play well, and obviously winning the US Open is going to be a huge boost to that sort of inner ego, I guess you could say, to keep that self-belief alive and burning.'
