(Gullane, Scotland) Rory McIlroy shrugged off biting winds to birdie his final two holes on Sunday and took the Scottish Open Golf honors with a stroke over Robert MacIntyre.
McIlroy first brilliantly used the drop on the par-3 17th hole to eventually wedge a four-foot putt for the first of his two birdies.
Then, in what he said was his best shot of the year, McIlroy put his ball 10 feet from the target on the 18th hole using his 2 iron, despite a headwind, for his birdie final.
These two birdies allowed him to bring back a card of 68, two strokes under par. He completed the four rounds with a cumulative score of 265, 15 under par.
The win moved McIlroy past Jon Rahm to second in the world rankings.
For MacIntyre, who was hoping to win on home soil, it was a heartbreaking second place, especially as he himself had pulled off a sensational shot on the 18th hole.
In the tall grass of the Renaissance Club, thanks to a brilliant shot of wood 3, he managed to lodge his ball four feet from the goal. He then shook his two fists with happiness after hitting the putt that allowed him to conclude his round with a score of 64, six under par, and a cumulative record of 266.
World No. 1 American Scottie Scheffler shot 70 on Sunday and finished third, tied with Byeong Hun An (70) and David Lingmerth (68), five shots behind the winner.
Canadians Corey Conners (66) and Nick Taylor (71) completed the tournament with cumulative scores of 264, six under par.
