Rory McIlroy is right where he wants to be – leading the charge into the final day of the Genesis Scottish Open and building serious momentum ahead of next week’s return to Royal Portrush.
On a jam-packed Moving Day at the Renaissance Club, the four-time Major champ plotted his way to a composed 66 – the joint-lowest round of the day – to catch American Chris Gotterup at the top of the leaderboard at 11-under-par.
McIlroy started the day four shots adrift but closed strong, with birdies at 14 and 16, to set up what could be a fairy-tale finish in front of a sell-out Scottish crowd. He’s now 18 holes away from Rolex Series win number five – and a perfect confidence booster before a home-soil Open showdown on the Dunluce Links.
Can Gotterup Ruin The Dream For McIlory?
Gotterup, who lit up Friday with a course-record 61, couldn’t find the same fireworks in round three, settling for a level-par 70. That opened the door for Rory, and the Northern Irishman didn’t hesitate.
“It’s my first proper chance to win since Augusta,” said McIlroy, reflecting on his season since completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters. “That was such a huge moment in my life – I needed a bit of time after that. But now, I’m back and excited for what’s next.”
Big Crowds, Big Names, Big Finish Incoming
The Sunday finale is shaping up beautifully. Just two shots back at 9-under is a jam-packed chasing pack that includes Wyndham Clark, Jake Knapp, Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge. And not far behind, Ludvig Åberg is leading a cavalry of contenders on seven under – with Straka, Novak, English, Kim, Yu, Schmid and Rozner all lurking.
Oh, and there was a little extra French flair on Saturday too – Romain Langasque sent the fans wild with a hole-in-one at the 14th, holing a wedge from 145 yards to ignite the Renaissance crowd.
Fog Delay? Bring it on
With dense sea fog (or ‘haar’ to the locals) set to roll in, Sunday tee times have been adjusted to a two-tee start from 11:30–13:40. Expect the final putt to drop around 7pm – hopefully with McIlroy raising the trophy.
One Eye on Portrush
With The Open heading back to Royal Portrush next week, victory here would send Rory to Northern Ireland with a serious tailwind. He’s already ticked off the Masters – could a second Claret Jug complete the story?
Stay tuned. This could be the beginning of something very special.
