LONDON — Rory McIlroy birdied the last two holes to win by one stroke at the Scottish golf Open in North Berwick, Scotland.
His final round of 2-under-par 66 marked his fourth straight round in the 60s at the final tune-up for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England.
McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, capped an up-and-down round of six birdies and four bogeys with birdies at the par-3 17th and par-4 18th to finish at 15-under. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre carded a 64 on Sunday to get to 14-under.
Sweden’s David Lingmerth (68), South Korea’s Byeong Hun An (70) and Scottie Scheffler (70) tied for third at 10-under.
It is the first triumph on Scottish soil for McIlroy, a four-time major winner who now returns with momentum to the scene of his only Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in 2014.
“I’m really proud,” said McIlroy, who will head to next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, scene of his 2014 triumph, on the back of his first win on Scottish soil.
“That was such a tough day, especially the back nine. To play that in four under par to win the tournament I’m really proud of how I stuck in there, hit some amazing shots down the stretch and was able to finish it off.
“It feels incredible. It’s been a sort of long six months I feel since I won in Dubai. I’ve given myself tonnes of chances and hopefully this win sort of breaks the seal for me, especially going in to next week as well.”
MacIntyre had been fortunate to find the spectator walkway following a wild drive on the 18th, but took full advantage by hitting a stunning approach with a fairway wood to within four feet of the hole.
The left-hander began the final round five shots behind McIlroy, but made good on his promise to relish “absolutely brutal” weather as he followed birdies on the third and sixth with an eagle on the par-five 10th.
A birdie on the 14th moved MacIntyre into the outright lead for the first time and he immediately doubled his advantage after a stunning approach to the next finished inches from the hole.
McIlroy kept himself in contention with a birdie on the 11th and a vital par save on the 12th, the world number three thinking his putt had missed before it caught the edge of the hole and dropped.
And, after MacIntyre bogeyed the par-five 16th, McIlroy holed from almost 40 feet on the 14th to share the lead.
MacIntyre’s amazing birdie on the 18th completed a stunning 64 and edged him back in front, but, after missing from eight feet on the par-five 16th, McIlroy conjured up a magical finish to seal a brilliant fightback.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, found himself eight shots behind late on the front nine with very little going right. But he birdied three of the last four holes, making a birdie from about 25 feet on the 18th hole, for a 67.
Scheffler was at 200 along with Shane Lowry (65), J.T. Poston (65), Eric Cole (64) and Byeong Hun An (69). An and Cole are the leading candidates to earn the three spots available for the British Open for those not already exempt.
“I think if you flipped the round around the other way, I would feel a little bit bad about my positioning,” Scheffler said. “But when you have it the way I did today, where you have the good finish and stealing at least two shots on the last two holes, definitely a good feeling.”
