07/10/26 02:43:00
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07/10 14:41 CDT Rory McIlroy part of 3-way tie for the lead at Scottish Open as
Scheffler misses the cut
Rory McIlroy part of 3-way tie for the lead at Scottish Open as Scheffler
misses the cut
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) --- Rory McIlroy took advantage of the scoring
holes in windy conditions Friday and posted a 4-under 66 for a three-way share
of the lead in a Scottish Open that no longer has Scottie Scheffler.
As comfortable as McIlroy looked, Scheffler struggled from the start and wound
up with a 72 to miss the 36-hole cut for the first time in nearly four years.
He had made 78 cuts in a row, the longest streak since Tiger Woods set the
record (142) more than 20 years ago.
"Got off to a poor start and after that, I didn't really it close enough to
give myself a bunch of looks," Scheffler said. "That's how you shoot over par."
Jordan Smith of England had the low score of the tournament with a 63 and was
the first to post at 9-under 131, joined by the resurgent Tom Kim (66) and
McIlroy, who has not won since going back-to-back in the Masters in April.
"It would have been nice to be a couple better," McIlroy said. "But it's
obviously another good day and in good position."
But the most surprising development at The Renaissance Club was Scheffler.
Instead of heading to the range after his round, he was making plans to head
south earlier than he imagined for his title defense in the British Open at
Royal Birkdale.
He had not missed the cut since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Scheffler had company that was equally surprising. Patrick Cantlay and Bernd
Wiesberger became the first players since Jordan Spieth at the 2023 Sony Open
to share the 18-hole lead and then miss the cut. Cantlay shot a 74, while
Wiesberger shot 43 on the back nine for a 78.
Brooks Koepka, who was one shot off the lead going into Friday, also missed the
cut.
McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open three years ago, found a new wedge to help
him with firm turf at Renaissance and next week at Birkdale. He still faces a
busy leaderboard going into the weekend.
Smith ran off four straight birdies early on the back nine, all of them inside
10 feet. Kim, who tied for third in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, holed a
40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 seven and finished with two birdies on his last
five holes.
Kim fell out of the top 100 in the world before steadily climbing back up. The
U.S. Open was a big step, and it eventually got him into the British Open next
week.
"I think being under the radar was kind of nice, just be able to work on my
game and keep getting better," Kim said. "Not being in the spotlight all the
time, you don't see everything, you don't see all the good stuff. I knew I was
really, really close. And I'm still working towards trying to be the best I can
be. But all those little things kind of kept adding, kept adding, and I think
it's shown the last couple weeks."
Matt Fitzpatrick had a 65 and was one shot out of the lead along with Min Woo
Lee. The group at 133 included defending champion Chris Gotterup and Scotland's
own Robert MacIntyre, who thrilled the gallery in the arena around the par-3
15th with a 30-foot birdie putt. The cheer was so loud he raised his putter to
salute them.
Gotterup, who played alongside McIlroy and MacIntyre, was one shot out of the
lead playing the 18th when he drove right into high, wispy grass. With the wind
at his back, his iron bounced hard and rolled close to 100 yards, onto and
through the green and against a television tower.
He chipped beautifully from the drop area, but failed to convert the par. Even
so, he was only two back going for his fourth win of the year. Gotterup is
coming off a victory last week in the John Deere Classic.
The British Open is offering three spots to the leading finishers not already
qualified. Among those in position at the halfway point was Nicolai Von
Dellingshausen of Germany, at No. 258 in the world who won his first European
tour event last year in the Austrian Open.
"Honestly, I was nervous," he said. "This is the best player field I've played
during the year. There are a couple good names out there. Trying not to look
too much into it and playing my own game."
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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