Rory McIlroy is having a pretty good week at the Scottish Open. He made a run on Sunday. He also, at one point, very loudly told himself he is terrible at golf. Relatable stuff.
McIlroy started the final round in Scotland six shots off the lead. Then he ripped off five birdies in his first seven holes. Suddenly, he was right in the mix on the back nine, pushing to get to 13-under for the tournament. That is when things got messy.
On the 16th hole, McIlroy had a decent look from the fairway. He pulled his approach shot hard left, the ball disappearing into thick fescue. The camera caught him muttering something to himself. The PGA Tour mic picked it up clearly: he said he is “so bad at golf.”
He is not, obviously. But the frustration was real. Every golfer has had that moment. The difference is McIlroy does it in front of a global audience while chasing a trophy.
He bounced back with a birdie on the par-3 17th to get back to 12-under. Still, he ran out of real estate. Tom Kim was cruising at 16-under with just a few holes to play, and McIlroy’s charge was going to fall short.
This Performance Means Something Bigger for The Open
Even if McIlroy doesn’t win the Scottish Open, he is trending hard. A top-10 finish here, especially after that explosive front nine, has to make him feel good about his game heading into Royal Birkdale next week for the final major of the year.
McIlroy won The Open in 2014. He hasn’t lifted the Claret Jug since. It is the major that has been hardest for him to get over the hump on. But with his current form, and Scottie Scheffler missing his first cut in years this week at the Scottish Open, McIlroy looks like the man to beat.
He will have the hometown crowd in Europe pulling for him. He is playing with confidence. And he clearly cares enough to get angry at himself over a single bad swing. That is not a bad sign heading into a major.
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