All eyes will be on Rory McIlroy next week at the Genesis Scottish Open as he looks to defend his title and there will be a surprise waiting for him. (#SpoilerAlert)
But more importantly, what sort of head space will he be in after seeing the U.S. Open title slip through his hands?
McIlroy, winner of four career majors but winless in his last 37 major starts, a stretch of nearly 10 years, held a two-shot lead with five holes to play at Pinehurst No. 2 but he made bogey on three of the four final holes to let Bryson DeChambeau finish a stroke better than him and walk off with his second U.S. Open title.
At No. 16, McIlroy missed from 2 feet, 6 inches, his first missed putt inside three feet in 496 attempts and then he missed a tricky downhill, left-to-right slider from 3 feet, 9 inches at No. 18 for par that would’ve been good enough for a playoff.
McIlroy departed without speaking to the media and issued a statement on social media the next day, announcing that he would be pulling out of the Travelers Championship.
“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland,” he wrote.
When he needed it most
@McIlroyRory delivers a beautiful approach on the 72nd hole @ScottishOpen
https://t.co/8mK1oukRZZ / CBS Sports app pic.twitter.com/igRkRENNpZ
— Golf on CBS
(@GolfonCBS) July 16, 2023
And when he gets to the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, he’ll find a pleasant surprise on the 18th hole, a plaque honoring his remarkable 2-iron from 202 yards into a 40-mph wind to 11 feet to set up the winning birdie. The plaque was just added on Monday.
“We just did it today,” said Paul Sarvadi, founder of the club. “We’re going to tell him when he gets here.”
It was one of the golf shots of the year and McIlroy went one step further.
“He said, ‘When I turn 80, it will be one of the five best shots I hit in my entire career,’ ” Sarvadi recalled.
Perhaps the plaque and a return to the site of last year’s glory at the Scottish Open will provide a spark that McIlroy can carry into the British Open, to be held just a few hours away at Royal Troon.