​Rory McIlroy says he plans to practice with a right-to-left wind in the coming days to sharpen his game ahead of The Open Championship after finishing inside the top 10 at the Scottish Open. He came close to a second win at The Renaissance Club, having put himself in a superb position by the midway point in North Berwick. The 37-year-old was limited to eight holes on Saturday because of the weather, but those eight holes were enough to derail his bid, as he carded three bogeys. Over the last couple of days, the six-time major winner showed a few uncharacteristic mistakes, which could be a sign that he might contend with rust if he competes on a reduced schedule.
McIlroy’s tee shot on the par-three fifth on Saturday was sprayed, finishing 40 yards short, and he also pulled off a massive hook on the 16th hole in the final round, contributing to another bogey. Despite these loose shots, he does not seem overly troubled by the hiccups at The Renaissance Club.
After his round, he was asked whether he feels he can be ready in time for the year’s final major next week. Photographer Luke Walker captured the moment as McIlroy spoke about his preparation.
“I just need to hit some balls in a right-to-left wind. That usually helps me,” he said. “Again, it’s the same thing I get a lot when I start hitting balls in a left-to-right wind, like what we’ve had over the weekend. My path and my face just get too far apart; my face ends up further left than my path, and I start hitting these left shots, especially with the irons. So it was good coming in here, and it felt solid. I hit some really good iron shots over the first couple days, but the more I see balls in a left-to-right wind, the more that issue tends to surface, and then it becomes a bit of a struggle.”
To observers who focused solely on Rory McIlroy’s performance through the first, second, and fourth rounds of the Scottish Open, it would have seemed as if he were about to run away with the title. He posted rounds of 65, 66, and 64, yet a 73 in the third round proved costly.
What stood out was McIlroy’s resilience on Sunday’s final round, when he rebounded after returning to the first tee. He explained how he made the most of the time between rounds by practicing. “Yeah, I definitely hit it a little better today than I did in round three. I noticed a few things in my game and in my iron shots, especially as I came out this morning for the back end of the third round. I went and tried to work on the range between rounds to address it. At least I know what the problem is, and it’s about fixing it. It’s been pretty windy this week, and when the wind on the range is off, it makes it easier to see the issues and correct them on the practice ground.” He also noted that wind direction and practice conditions can reveal where his path and clubface are misaligned, particularly with irons.
In sum, McIlroy’s takeaway from the Scottish Open is not a crisis but a signal that, with a adjusted focus and the right practice under wind considerations, he believes he can be ready for The Open next week. He plans to tailor his practice to the wind patterns he expects to encounter, hoping to refine his ball flight and iron play ahead of the major.