McIlroy Surges Into Scottish Open Lead with Gotterup

Rory McIlroy's Strong Performance in the Scottish Open

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Rory McIlroy made a significant move toward regaining his form with two impressive shots at the end of his round on Saturday. This performance helped him achieve a 4-under 66, placing him in a tie for the lead with Chris Gotterup in the Scottish Open.

McIlroy maintained his position in the race for the lead on a day filled with sunshine along the Firth of Forth. He became a focal point during the middle of the back nine at The Renaissance Club. After making a 15-foot birdie on the par-3 14th hole, he executed a shot from a greenside pot bunker that hit the pin for a tap-in par. This kept his momentum going.

On the par-5 16th hole, McIlroy found himself in trouble but managed to hit a sand wedge from 173 yards to within 10 feet for a birdie. Two closing pars brought his total to 11-under 199, which was enough to catch up with Gotterup. Gotterup, known for his powerful play, had gone 34 holes without a bogey until the second hole on Saturday. However, he ended up tying with a three-putt from 60 feet on the 14th and failed to birdie the 16th.

Gotterup, who set a course record with a 61 on Friday, finished with a 70. He will be in the final group with McIlroy, a challenging scenario given McIlroy’s previous victory at The Renaissance Club and his status as a major draw in Scotland, especially with the British Open approaching.

“I think I’m pretty close to being back to the level I was at going into the Masters,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve had a little bit of a lull, which I feel is understandable. So I’m just getting back to the level that I know that I can play at.”

Wyndham Clark also posted a 66 and will join McIlroy and Gotterup in the final group. Tee times have been slightly adjusted due to forecasted heavy fog, which threatened to move in throughout the day but ultimately stayed offshore.

Clark was at 9-under 201, alongside Jake Knapp, who was the closest challenger to Gotterup for most of the day. Knapp finished with a 68 after a wild finish featuring birdies on the closing par 3s and bogeys on other holes. Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge were also at 201, each posting a 69.

Gotterup and Knapp are in a strong position to extend their stay in links golf. The top three players not yet eligible will earn spots at Royal Portrush for the British Open next week.

McIlroy hasn’t looked the same since his memorable day at Augusta National, where he won a playoff to claim the Masters green jacket and joined an exclusive group of five other players with the career Grand Slam. Since then, he hasn’t seriously come close to winning. He arrived in Scotland after a two-week break and described his game at 80%.

Despite this, McIlroy had few complaints about his performance after Saturday. “Even though I scored better yesterday (a 65), I feel like I played my best golf of the week today,” he said.

McIlroy has not set foot on Royal Portrush since the 2019 Open, where he tried to recover from an opening 79 and ended up missing the cut by one shot. His caddie, Harry Diamond, was at the Northern Ireland links to assess some changes, mainly a few holes that have been lengthened.

This is a crucial week for McIlroy, who has never won on home soil as a professional. Sunday could be the perfect time for him to prove that his game is as strong as ever.

“When you do something that you’ve been dreaming your whole life to do, it was a huge moment in my life, my career,” he said of his Masters victory. “I think I just needed that little bit of time. And to be back here for the last couple weeks, and feel like I could actually digest all of it, I feel like I came to this tournament with renewed enthusiasm and excitement for the rest of the year.”

Gotterup appeared composed for much of Saturday. After a rough start, including a bogey from a fairway bunker on the second hole, he drove into a bunker on the short par-4 fifth, leading to another bogey. He nearly had a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth, but the ball lip out of the cup.

However, that was the last of his birdies. He failed to convert on the two par 5s on the back nine and ran out of par-saving putts when he three-putted the 14th. Despite this, he remains in contention to add to his Myrtle Beach Classic title from last year.

“I'm pleased, but definitely feel like I left one or two out there that would have been important,” Gotterup said. “After 61, it doesn’t feel as easy. I hung in there tough and put myself in a good spot going into tomorrow.”

“I know what I’m capable of. I’ve won before — obviously different tournament. So I know what it takes,” he added. “It’s going to take a good round for sure, and I’m going to go give it my best.”