​Genesis Scottish Open second round update: R McIlroy (NI) and T Kim (Kor) and J Smith (Eng) lead at nine under, with M Fitzpatrick (Eng) and MW Lee (Aus) just behind on eight under. Chase pack includes R MacIntyre (Sco), C Gotterup (US), V Perez (Fra), J Luiten (Ned), N von Dellingshausen (Ger), S Yellamaraju (Can), and K Nakajima (Jpn) on seven under. Selected others sit at six under: D Willett (Eng), while four under include J Thomas (US); three under T Fleetwood (Eng); two under J Rahm (Spa) and E S Scheffler (US). Full leaderboard available.
Seventy-eight events, four years, 1,428 days. Scottie Scheffler’s remarkable streak of consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour has ended. The world number one had not finished outside the top 25 in any event since 2024, and came to the Renaissance Club hoping to add his first Scottish win to his résumé and carry momentum into his Open Championship defense. Instead, his week ends early. A two-over 72 in the second round left him at level par, while Rory McIlroy surged to a 66 to maintain a share of the lead.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy sits atop nine under, tied with England’s Jordan Smith, who fired a 63, and South Korea’s Tom Kim. Scheffler finishes at level par, two strokes shy of the cut line, and misses the weekend — a first for him in a co-sanctioned PGA Tour event since the 2022 FedEx St Jude Championship. The longest active streak of consecutive cuts remains with Matt Fitzpatrick at 28.
R&A has announced a new code of conduct for the Open, and the overall mood around Scheffler is one of disbelief and reflection. “It felt like nothing was going right,” said the 30-year-old American. “I didn’t feel like I played that badly. This golf course can be tough with its humps and mounds. I don’t think I’ve finished outside the top 20 many times this year, so I’m proud of the consistency and wish I had a couple of days over the weekend to make up ground.”
After posting a 68 on Thursday, Scheffler looked ready to challenge but began his second round poorly, bogeying the 11th and 12th holes in his first three holes. He managed two birdies on the day, but those were offset by two more bogeys as his round unraveled in East Lothian.
Despite the setback, Scheffler can still look ahead to Royal Birkdale for his Claret Jug defense next week, albeit with some uncertainty about a return to this venue next year. “This is a golf course I feel I can play well on,” he said. “I just haven’t for some reason this week.” He stressed the need to regroup and consider the path forward as he contemplates the rest of the season.