The timing is just about right for Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
He shot 4-under-par 66 in the third round of the Genesis Scottish Open, pulling into a share of the lead Saturday at North Berwick, Scotland.
“I think I’m pretty close to being back to the level I was at going into the Masters,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve had a little bit of a lull, which I feel is understandable. So I’m just getting back to the level that I know that I can play at.”
McIlroy, bidding to win the tournament for the second time in three years, is tied atop the leaderboard with second-round leader Chris Gotterup at Renaissance Club. Gotterup had a 21-foot putt on the final hole with a chance to become the solo leader, but it was barely off the mark, so he settled for a third-round 70.
“It’s going to take a good round for sure, and I’m going to go give it my best,” Gotterup said of the upcoming final 18 holes.
The duo goes into Sunday’s final round, which marks the last tune-up prior to next week’s Open Championship, with a two-stroke lead at 11 under 199.
“I think when you’re playing the way you want to play and the ball is coming out of the window that you’re looking, that’s certainly more enjoyable than if it’s not,” McIlroy said. “Look, it’s fun to be back here and play in front of so many kids out there and to have that support and that enthusiasm.”
Wyndham Clark made an early charge and posted 66, pulling to 9 under with Jake Knapp (68) and the English duo of Marco Penge (69) and Matt Fitzpatrick (69).
McIlroy, who won the 2023 tournament at 15 under, played the last 11 holes in a bogey-free 4 under.
“The atmosphere has been great all week,” McIlroy said. “Obviously the weather helps that.”
McIlroy said there was good fortune as well, such as a bunker shot on No. 15 with the ball hitting the pin that allowed him to salvage par.
Gotterup was coming off Friday’s 61, but he had bogeys on Nos. 2 and 14. He said there were missed opportunities but that he can’t complain about the position he’s in.
“I’m in a good spot,” Gotterup said. “If you came to me on Tuesday and said that was the case, I would have taken it. I’m excited for (Sunday) and yeah, a good day ahead of us.”
Penge and Fitzpatrick, playing together in the second-to-last pairing, went to the 18th with a chance to pull into a share of the lead and instead they both took bogeys.
But they’re still in contention.
“It’s been over 18, 20 months since my last win,” Fitzpatrick said. “It would be a big deal.”
Harris English, whose 66 matched McIlroy and Clark for the best score of the third round, is among eight golfers tied for seventh at 7 under.
“I think you’re excited to come over here and play links golf,” Clark said. “And I kind of like the creativity, and even if you’re not hitting it great you can kind of scrape it around, and then when you do hit it good and make some putts, turn it into a good round.”
World No. 1 Scott Scheffler shot 69 and sits at 6 under.
“I think I felt like I hit a lot of good putts out there and the ball was just dodging the hole,” Scheffler said.
–Field Level Media
