McIlroy moves into contention at Scottish Open with second-round 65

RORY MCILROY ROARED into contention on the second day of a sun-drenched Scottish Open, carding a five-under 65 to catapult himself into a tie for sixth place. He trails clubhouse leader Chris Gotterup by four shots, however, with the American tying the course record with a stunning 61. 

McIlroy ignited a fitful opening round yesterday evening with birdies on all of his final three holes, and he carried the same momentum into his second round, birdieing five of his opening seven holes.

Where he hit the gas across his opening nine holes — having teed off on 10 — McIlroy spent the rest of his round on the back foot. With drives leaking away from the fairway, McIlroy scrambled admirably to play his back nine in even par, with a birdie on the fifth hole — McIlroy’s 14th — undone with a bogey on his penultimate hole. 

McIlroy explained that his inaccuracy off the tee is partly explained by his desire to be aggressive wherever he can. 

“I got off to a flyer,” he told Sky Sports, “conditions were so benign this morning. Then the wind picked up a little on the back nine, but it was still very manageable. I started to struggle and hit a couple of wayward drives, but overall it’s a really good score, and it puts me into the thick of things for the weekend. 

“Take the first hole, our 10th, the two boys [playing partners Schauffele and Hovland] hit irons to stay short of the bunker, but if I feel I hit a good drive, I can carry that bunker and get a wedge in. The rough isn’t too bad, and, honestly, being aggressive off the tee on links courses and taking the bunkers out of play if the rough isn’t too bad has always been a pretty good strategy for me. So I am sticking with that for the week. Sometimes it gets you in trouble, but it mostly works out quite well.” 

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Though right in the mix for the weekend, McIlroy has ground to make up on Gotterup, who carded a nine-birdie round of 61, leaving a final putt for the course record short of the hole.

American Gotterup soared to the top of the leaderboard by equalling the course record at the Renaissance Club.

World number 158 Gotterup carded nine birdies in a bogey-free 61 to finish the second round on 11 under par.

Gotterup threatened to break 60 after sinking his ninth birdie of the day on the 14th hole but four pars followed.

“It (59) never really crossed my mind,” said the 25-year-old.

“I made the putt on 14 and I was like, all right, I’ve got 16 and obviously 17 and 18 are pretty tough. So I really wanted to get 16.

“I’m not going to complain too much when I make my birdies on a course that isn’t always typically easy.”

England’s Harry Hall sits two strokes off the clubhouse lead after posting a six-under 64 to finish the day in second place.

Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, is joint third alongside Marco Penge following respective rounds of 63 and 67 and Swede Ludvig Aberg, who made eight birdies before bogeying the last for a 65.

US Open champion JJ Spaun is set to miss the cut after three bogeys in a 72 left him two over, while world number one Scottie Scheffler is tied in 21st place after shooting a second-round 68 to sit five under.

Padraig Harrington is tied for 64th, 10 shots off the lead.

The Dubliner followed his opening-round 69 with a 70 after a mixed day two that included three bogeys and three birdies.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. 

 Additional reporting by Press Association