Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy is back on familiar ground at The Renaissance Club for the Genesis Scottish Open, and the world number two expressed a deepening appreciation for both the tournament and the unique demands of links golf as he prepares for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
McIlroy, who completed his move to his new home in Wentworth in mid-May following the PGA Championship, is enjoying the comforts of a tournament in the UK.
“It’s not home but feels like home in a way,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference. “And [I’m] excited to get a little bit of links golf under my belt these next few days.”
The reigning Race to Dubai champion has warm memories of the Renaissance Club, where he triumphed in 2023. While the course retains the same 18 holes, this year’s setup features thicker rough and a tweaked routing designed to heighten drama on Sunday. McIlroy noted the changes demand greater precision off the tee.
“This course has definitely grown on me as the years have went by,” he reflected. “When I first came here – I think just because you come to Scotland and you play so many great golf courses, there are so many great golf courses in this area – I think we sometimes jump to maybe not liking a course because of how new it is or maybe some greens are a bit too slopey or whatever.
“But I must say, over the years, it has grown on me a lot, and I think it’s sort of become a really good venue for this tournament.”
Though he hasn’t played competitively since the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, his preparation for this week and next has included plenty of links golf. McIlroy scouted Royal Birkdale in a one-day visit and then played St Enodoc in Cornwall with Luke Donald and Shane Lowry.
“Birkdale was definitely just a scouting trip for The Open,” he confirmed, adding that the early look eases pressure during championship week, and though St Enodoc was unknown to him and more for fun, he admitted that any time he gets to tee it up on a links course is useful.
“I had never heard of it before, and it’s I guess a Top 100 course in the world,” he said. “It’s really cool. But that was more just for enjoyment. You’re going out to play, but yeah, it’s nice, you start hitting the ball off links turf again and start to play in a little bit more wind. Your links instincts come back, even if it is for fun. The stuff that you’ve grown up with starts to come back to you.”
The Royal Birkdale that presents itself next week will be considerably different than the one he played in 2017 with major changes to five holes and two entirely new holes, though the par-3 15th – 15 was formerly a par-4 – is the one that could set tongues wagging the most.
“Undecided. I’ll have to play it a bit more,” he said when asked his opinion on the new par-3 that has the potential to be a late card-wrecker. “It’s going to be an interesting hole. I think it’s going to be a big talking point.”
Beyond personal form, McIlroy used the occasion to praise the Scottish Open’s growth since gaining co-sanctioned status with the PGA Tour. With a strong field and continued investment from sponsor Genesis, he sees it as a model for other national championships.
“Since this event has been co-sanctioned, it really has went from strength-to-strength,” McIlroy said. “This, to me, is the blueprint of what it can be. Yeah, It’s a perfect lead-in to The Open Championship. You know, I’ve thought, ‘Could the Canadian Open become co-sanctioned, as well? Leading into the U.S. Open?’ That could be interesting, as well, trying to build out this series of National Opens that have a bit more meaning behind them.”
However, he struck a note of caution regarding broader tour restructuring. With discussions around “Champions Series” events and closed fields, McIlroy warned against diluting the essence of traditional national opens.
“We’ve got to be careful with that because then these National Opens lose the fabric of what they are, You can’t call yourself a National Open anymore if it’s a closed off tournament,” he emphasised, before adding: “there’s a little bit more nuance with these tournaments for sure.”
Before heading to Cornwall, he enjoyed a memorable day in the Royal Box at Wimbledon alongside Donald and Justin Rose, but it was McIlroy’s choice of attire that stole the show.
“That was the first time I had the green jacket on since Augusta, so you know, if you can’t wear it there, where can you wear it?” he grinned.
Leave a comment