Rory McIlroy In Contention, A Good Omen Of What’s To Come?
Why his opening rounds at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open could be a harbinger of great things to come for Rory McIlroy.
Year in and year out, great things are expected of Rory McIlroy. His high standards and the lofty expectations from McIlroy’s adoring fans make anything short of multiple-win seasons feel like a letdown.
Despite only holding one win this year thus far, McIlroy has been playing incredibly consistent golf of late having not finished any worse than T7 in any of his last five starts. As for adding another title to his cabinet? That could be about to change this week at The Renaissance Club in Scotland.
A win at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open would be the perfect tune-up in the final event before next week’s 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. Undoubtedly, next week’s final major of the year will already be at the forefront of McIlroy’s mind following last year’s heartache at St. Andrews where he came so incredibly close to winning his first major since 2014.
The four-time major winner will look to end his lengthy spell in majors without a win at a locale that he is very fond of. Rory will return to Royal Liverpool next week with his sights set on lifting the revered Claret Jug at Hoylake once again following his triumph at the venue at the 143rd Open.
If the first two rounds this week in Scotland are anything to go off of, McIlroy will once again be a major factor in an Open Championship next week.
A good omen for Rory McIlroy?
Rounds of 64 and 66 over the first two days of the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open see the Northern Irishman firmly in contention heading into the weekend. At the halfway point in Scotland, Rory finds himself atop the leaderboard with another fantastic opportunity to win for the second time this year.
“But you know, I know that I’m playing well enough tee-to-green to give myself some looks and
hang in there,” Rory said following his round on Friday, “so I’m pretty confident going into the next two days no matter what the weather throws at us.”
Winning for the first time since the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the beginning of the year would only add to that confidence heading into next week’s Open Championship.
In addition, his opening rounds at The Renaissance Club could be a good harbinger of what’s to come for Rory McIlroy. Per PGA Tour Communications, Rory carded opening rounds of 66 or better for the fifth time in his PGA career on Friday; and for the first time since the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool.
The Northern Irishman has gone on to win an event on three of the last four occasions in which that has happened.
Rory McIlroy has had excellent opportunities to win previously; including as recently as the U.S. Open at LACC where a final round 70 saw the Northern Irishman come up just short of eventual winner Wyndham Clark.
Next. Is it really just the Top 70?. dark
It’s only the halfway point, but if his opening rounds this week are indeed a good omen of what’s to come, Rory McIlroy will be heading into next week’s major full of confidence and with a trophy in hand.
And who knows? Maybe the four-time major champion will also go on to add another Claret Jug to his collection at Royal Liverpool once more, and in the process end a nearly decade-long drought on golf’s grandest stage, wouldn’t that be something?