I’m not going to let three or four holes cloud my judgment’ – Rory McIlroy ‘putts’ his best foot forward as Open looms
Rory McIlroy Puts US Open Heartbreak Behind Him as Open Championship Looms
Rory McIlroy will always remember last month’s US Open heartbreak for two crucial short misses on the greens. However, he’s determined to arrive at Royal Troon for The Open next week with his putting confidence intact.
Despite missing three birdie chances in his last five holes, the world No. 2 was pleased to make seven birdies and share eighth place. He was just three shots behind US star Justin Thomas, opening with a five-under 65—the lowest first-round score by a defending champion in Scottish Open history.
“I’d be worried if the ball wasn’t starting on my line,” McIlroy said after his round. He made a chip-in eagle and two birdies coming home, stating, “I hit three really good putts there. They just didn’t happen to go in. This is the good thing about playing links golf again. You start to realize that the ball doesn’t maybe break quite as much as you think it’s going to.”
As McIlroy progresses through the week, he aims to get more comfortable on links greens. This adjustment is crucial not only for the Scottish Open but also for the upcoming Open Championship.
On a low-scoring day, Thomas had eight single putts in 10 holes, finishing with an eight-under 62, leading Korea’s Sungjae Im by one shot. Séamus Power and Tom McKibbin shared 77th after 69s, and Pádraig Harrington was 99th after a 71.
McIlroy’s primary goal this week is to maintain his confidence and form, erasing the US Open disappointment from his memory as he contends for that elusive fifth Major next week.
“I’m not going to let three or four holes [at Pinehurst] cloud my judgment in terms of how good I’m playing,” McIlroy emphasized. “I knew to play the golf that I did the whole way through June, it wasn’t just the US Open. I played well at the Canadian Open, at Memorial before that, and at PGA and Quail Hollow. My game has been in good shape, and it was in good shape coming in here. It’s just a matter of going out there and focusing on the task at hand and not letting your mind wander too much. I felt like I did a good job of that today.”
### Leona Maguire Faces Challenge at Amundi Evian Championship
In the Amundi Evian Championship in France, Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow have their work cut out to catch the leaders at Evian Resort. Despite coming into the event with confidence following her win at the Aramco Team Series – London, Maguire was three-over par after five holes. She rallied with birdies at the seventh, 12th, and 15th to get back to level-par but finished with a bogey six, carding a one-over 72 which left her tied for 76th.
The Co Cavan star was eight strokes behind Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, and rookie professional Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden, who shot seven-under 64s to lead by a shot from Lauren Coughlin, Lydia Ko, Hyo Joo Kim, Ayaka Furue, Hye-Jin Choi, and Gaby Lopez. Meadow was joint 103rd after a 74, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda signed for a 69, leaving her tied for 21st.
### Ireland Competes in European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championship
Meanwhile, Ireland will play Germany in the semi-finals of the European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championship in Madrid today as France meets England. Singles wins for Annabel Wilson and Beth Coulter helped Ireland beat Denmark 5-2 in the quarter-finals at Club de Campo, as they seek their first win in the event since 1983. However, it was another disappointing day for the men’s team, following their failure to make Flight A on Wednesday.
