Putter lets down Rory McIlroy at Genesis Scottish Open

Rory McIlroy’s ball-striking was good enough to win the Genesis Scottish Open, but the putter was a different story. He’ll hope the flat stick will come around for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

McIlroy hovered around the lead for most of the week at The Renaissance Club, but his 14-under total was four short of winner Robert MacIntyre, the Scotsman who drained a walkoff birdie at the 72nd hole to win on the Scottish coast. It was a respectable title defense for McIlroy, who memorably finished birdie-birdie in 2023 to clip MacIntyre by a stroke, but it wasn’t enough for his second straight Genesis Scottish Open title. McIlroy finished the week in a share of fourth place.

“I had a lot of chances that I wasn't able to convert, and that was sort of the story of the week,” McIlroy said afterward. “Felt like the ball-striking was there pretty much every day. There were a few scrappy bits here and there, but overall, it was a good week to see where my game is heading into next week, especially after the back of three weeks off.

“Pleased with the week with one eye on trying to defend here, but obviously with an eye on trying to get prepared for Troon as well.”

The Genesis Scottish Open marked McIlroy’s return to competition after a heartbreaking finish at last month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, where he missed two par putts inside 4 feet in his last three holes and finished one back of winner Bryson DeChambeau. His Wednesday press conference at The Renaissance Club marked his first public comments since that defeat, and he spoke of walking New York City’s “High Line” in the days afterward to decompress, while professing intent to move forward mentally into the upcoming summer stretch.

McIlroy didn’t display much rust at the Genesis Scottish Open, where he carded rounds of 65-66-67-68 and ranked second in the field in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green. He ranked No. 63 in the field in putting, though – and the fact that he had an outside chance at the title heading into the final few holes Sunday, then, was a testament to his ball-striking.

“I was leaving a lot of putts short, and when they do get that slow, I actually find it a little trickier to read them,” McIlroy said. “The green speeds, I’ve struggled with the last couple days.”

McIlroy has one final chance in 2024 to snap a major-championship winless drought that currently spans 10 years. It will come next week at Royal Troon, where he finished fifth at The Open in 2016 – albeit 16 strokes back of winner Henrik Stenson.

If he can fine-tune the putter in the next few days, he’ll have as good a chance as any.

“The reason that I like to play the week before the majors is to knock a little bit of rust off and try to get sharp, and I feel like I've done that this week,” McIlroy said. “If I can get the putter to cooperate and get the speed of the greens down … I feel like I’ll be in a really good spot.”