Rory McIlroy could have been at Wembley on Wednesday night – “with my Danish top on,” the Northern Irishman joked – but instead he is glad to be in North Berwick desperately trying to put his game, and most notably his driving, in shape for next week’s Open Championship.
McIlroy, 32, was had been due to skip this Scottish Open, but when the Covid-19 travel restrictions meant his wife Erica and baby daughter Poppy had to remain in the United States, he delighted the country, the European Tour and sponsors with an unexpected late entry.
And after his tie for 59th at last week’s Irish Open, McIlroy’s form plainly needs another outing before the challenge awaiting 450 miles south at Royal St George’s.
“I was pretty rusty last week at Mount Juliet,” he said. “I didn’t really practise the week after the US Open [where he finished seventh] and it showed in my game. So it’s been nice to link back up with Pete [Cowen, his coach] and work on some stuff these last couple of days.”
It is obvious what the pair have been concentrating on. McIlroy unleashed the driver on 11 occasions in Sunday’s 74 in Co Kilkenny, and missed the fairway each time. McIlroy is one of the game’s great drivers, and not just of this era, but has lost his confidence off the tee.
It is his challenge over the next four days to return this feared weapon to full working order. “You can get away with it with the shorter clubs, but once you get a longer club in your hand, that’s where some of the bad habits start to creep in,” McIlroy said. “That’s an area we’ve focused on the last few days and I definitely drove the ball better yesterday and then again today, so that’s encouraging.” (The Telegraph)