​Rory McIlroy will head into the weekend tied for the lead at the Genesis Scottish Open after signing for a 66 on Friday, keeping him in the running at the Renaissance Club. The Masters champion continued steady progress to reach nine under, but it was a day of disappointment for world number one Scottie Scheffler in North Berwick, as he failed to make the cut.
McIlroy lived on the edge of eagles and birdies early, nearly holing out at the first before settling for a birdie. He added three more birdies on the front nine to reach the turn in 31. His approach at the 13th came up short of a drop-in birdie opportunity, and he made his only real mistake of the day with a misread par putt on the hole. He recovered quickly, almost chipping in for an eagle at the 14th, then converting a routine birdie to stay in the leading pack in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard.
After his round, McIlroy spoke with Sky Sports, saying he felt he had played well again despite the stronger winds in the afternoon. “The wind definitely got up in the afternoon, but I got off to a really nice start,” he noted. He added that the gusts stiffened by the turn, making the greens tougher to attack and that many players were simply chasing pars. Nevertheless, he insisted the day had been solid and that he was pleased to head into the weekend in a strong position. “I’m excited for the weekend,” he concluded.
Alongside McIlroy in the duel for the top spot was England’s Jordan Smith, who produced a day’s best 63, and South Korea’s Tom Kim. Smith’s round featured a sequence of four straight birdies starting at the 11th, launching him into contention and placing him one stroke ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick, who logged a 65 capped by five consecutive birdies, and Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
Robert MacIntyre, the 2024 champion who played with McIlroy and the defending title holder Chris Gotterup, finished seven under after a 66. Gotterup himself shot 65, a reflection of his recent form after winning the John Deere Classic last weekend. The field also included US Open champion Wyndham Clark and Danny Willett, who finished the day at six under.
The cut came at two under, marking a less-than-ideal setup for defending Open champion Scottie Scheffler ahead of next week’s final major. He needed a late birdie at the par-three ninth to make the weekend, but his chip from just off the green did not drop, and his six-foot par putt slid past. He conceded that his plans had shifted as a result. “A little different to what I was planning,” he said. “I’ll figure out how to get down to Birkdale and kind of go from there.”
Also missing the weekend were US PGA champion Aaron Rai, newly crowned US Senior Open winner Padraig Harrington, fellow Irishman Shane Lowry, and another recent Open champion, leaving a note-worthy gap in the field. The Scottish Open moves into its final rounds with a high-stakes chase for the weekend, and McIlroy sits in a promising position to contend.