Rory McIlroy sank a birdie on the final gap to seal a dramatic victory within the Scottish Open on Sunday for his first match win in Scotland.
The four-time main winner had seen his one-shot in a single day lead evaporate on a windy day on the Renaissance Membership.
However having missed from eight toes for birdie on the par-five sixteenth, the Northern Irishman made no such mistake from nearer vary on the par-three seventeenth to hitch Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre on 14 below.
McIlroy then performed a surprising method shot on the 18th earlier than a profitable 10-foot putt snatched victory from MacIntyre.
“I’m actually proud,” stated McIlroy, who will return subsequent week to the scene of his solely British Open triumph at Hoylake in 2014, the final of his 4 main titles.
“That was such a tricky day, particularly the again 9. To play that in 4 below par to win the match I’m actually happy with how I caught in there, hit some superb pictures down the stretch and was in a position to end it off.
Victory within the AU$13.4 million Scottish Open gave McIlroy his second Rolex Sequence title of the yr.
“It feels unbelievable,” he added. “It’s been a type of lengthy six months I really feel since I gained in Dubai. I’ve given myself tons of probabilities and hopefully this win type of breaks the seal for me, particularly entering into to subsequent week as properly.”
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MacIntyre had a fortunate break when a wild drive on the 18th managed to search out the spectator walkway. However he made probably the most of his luck with an excellent method shot that landed inside 4 toes of the opening.
The left-hander began the ultimate spherical 5 pictures behind McIlroy however adopted up on his promise to get pleasure from ” “completely brutal” climate, with birdies on the third and sixth holes adopted by an excellent higher eagle on the par-five tenth.
His birdie on the 14th gave MacIntyre the outright lead for the primary time and he doubled his benefit on the following.
McIlroy remained in rivalry with a birdie on the eleventh and a par save on the twelfth, the place the world quantity three thought he had missed his putt just for the ball to catch the sting of the opening and drop in.
Then, after MacIntyre bogeyed the par-five sixteenth, McIlroy holed from nearly 40 toes on the 14th to share the lead.
MacIntyre’s excellent birdie on the 18th accomplished a superb 64 and edged him again in entrance once more.
However he was denied what would have been the most important win of his skilled profession by McIlroy’s effective end over the past two holes.