Rory McIlroy mounted a strong Sunday charge at the Scottish Open but fell short after a pulled iron shot on the 16th hole. He finished the tournament at 12 under par, five shots behind winner Tom Kim.
McIlroy began the final round aggressively, shooting four under on the front nine and adding birdies on holes 12 and 13 to close within one of the lead. He reached the 16th tee two shots back before pulling a 6-iron into the heather.
The Northern Irishman reacted immediately with the words, “Oh my God, I’m so bad at golf.” He later explained the miss stemmed from practicing in a left-to-right wind, a problem he had encountered earlier in the season.
McIlroy bogeyed the 16th and ended the week five shots behind Kim. He described the round as a positive sign ahead of next week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale while acknowledging he needs further adjustments to his game.
