McIlroy targets iron flaw before The Open after Scottish 64
World number two Rory McIlroy heads to Royal Birkdale for The Open next week knowing exactly what needs fixing after a turbulent Genesis Scottish Open.
Rory McIlroy carded a final-round 64 to finish the Genesis Scottish Open at 12 under par, but the world number two leaves Scotland with a specific technical flaw to resolve before the final men's major of the year.
The Northern Irishman held a share of the lead following opening rounds of 65 and 66 at the Renaissance Club. His challenge faltered during a fog-affected third round, where he could only manage a 73 containing a single birdie. He responded on Sunday by equalling his lowest score of the year, posting eight birdies and two bogeys.
A late charge saw McIlroy birdie five of his first seven holes to briefly move within one stroke of the lead. While a three-putt bogey at the ninth and a poor approach at the 16th briefly stalled his momentum, back-to-back birdies at the 12th and another at the 17th secured a strong finish.
Despite the low score, McIlroy was candid about the state of his game. "Felt like I was pretty much in control of everything after the first two days and then on the long day yesterday, waiting around, didn't get off to the best of starts," he explained.
The Masters champion identified a recurring issue with his iron shots that emerged in the coastal wind. "It's been pretty windy this week, and then when the wind on the range is off the left, I just get into that bad habit of hitting it further left than the path at impact," McIlroy said. "I start hitting left with my iron shots, and I still hit a few out there today but I managed a little bit better and I managed the clubface better."
His ability to mitigate the ball-striking flaw relied heavily on his short game. "I held a lot of putts. I putted really well today - that was the difference between 73 and 64," he noted. After a poor approach at the 16th, he described himself as "so bad at golf".
McIlroy will now spend the coming days working to rectify the issue before The Open begins at Royal Birkdale on Thursday, July 16. As one of the pre-tournament favourites for the continent's most prestigious championship, his ability to correct the swing flaw will dictate his chances of adding to his Masters title. "At least I know what the problem is and it's just about fixing it," he said. "I don't feel like it's too far away. There's definitely some positive signs."
