If this does not convince Rory McIlroy he can end a nine-year wait for major championship No 5, starting on Thursday at Royal Liverpool, nothing will.
The Northern Irishman crosses the border for the Open Championship and the scene of his sole lifting of the Claret Jug thus far with cheers still reverberating around his head. One of the most stunning finishes of McIlroy’s career broke the heart of Robert MacIntyre, the home favourite, and earned him the Scottish Open title at the Renaissance Club. It was impossible, though, to ignore the bigger picture. Hoylake is calling.
“It feels incredible,” said McIlroy. “It’s been a sort of long six months, I feel, since I won in Dubai. I’ve given myself tons of chances and hopefully this win sort of breaks the seal for me, especially going into next week.
“I don’t feel like it really proves anything. I don’t feel like I need to prove anything in my career but it’s satisfying to know that for me that I can still do it. It’s nice to have the validation. It’s great racking up top fives, top 10s, but it’s much nicer heading away with a trophy on Sunday afternoon. It’s a great shot of confidence.”
McIlroy’s first professional victory in Scotland means he is the first player in history to have won an Open, Irish Open and Scottish Open. Phil Mickelson, in 2013, is the only man to have triumphed in the Scottish Open and the Open on back-to-back Sundays.
“The national titles I feel are pretty big deals, especially when you look at the trophy and see the list of winners that have gotten their name on them,” said McIlroy, who has also won the Canadian, US and Australian Opens. “So it’s nice to add my name to this one now.”
The conclusion in East Lothian involved classic McIlroy theatre. Having held a one-stroke lead over Tom Kim at the start of round four and in blustery conditions, the world No 3 could only reach the turn in two-over-par 37. MacIntyre charged through the pack, his 64 and 14-under-par total notable for an outrageous three-wood approach to the last which finished within 4ft of the cup from 213 yards.
McIlroy, who had steadied himself with birdies at the 11th and 14th, now needed to play his closing three in one under to force a playoff. When the 34-year-old failed to take advantage of the par-five 16th, it was clear advantage to MacIntyre. McIlroy duly hit his second to the penultimate hole to within 5ft, from where he converted for a birdie.
At the last, a beautifully flighted two-iron – he later heralded it as his shot of the year – left McIlroy with 10ft for victory; he roared with delight having found the bottom of the cup. A further element of drama had been added by McIlroy having to wait what felt like an age to putt as Kim required a ruling over wind moving his ball on the putting surface. How the R&A must be praying for a denouement even approaching this at Hoylake.
McIlroy clearly felt for MacIntyre, to whom he apologised after the dust had settled. “If he can shoot 64 in a day like today, he can do anything,” said McIlroy, who earned $1.57m (£1.2m). How the 26-year-old left-hander from Oban would have cherished success in his national open. To his credit, MacIntyre refused to be despondent in narrow defeat. His consolation will involve a leap into the automatic qualifying places for the Ryder Cup when the latest rankings are published on Monday.
“I’m really proud of myself,” the world No 104 said. “That’s why I play this sport. The Scottish Open will be up there with the event I want to play for the rest of my life. It’s one I’ve dreamed of winning since I watched at home. I thought today, once I birdied 18, this might be the one. It’s not to be just now but I have plenty of years ahead.
“At the start of the day, I was nowhere near it. I wasn’t even within touching distance of the trophy and went out there and put in a performance. Rory McIlroy is potentially the best in the world and he showed why today. I take my hat off to him.”
An Byeong-hun, David Lingmerth and Nicolai Højgaard earned late Open berths thanks to their finishes at Renaissance. Højgaard’s twin brother, Rasmus, was already in the field.
