NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) — A change of scenery might be just what Rory McIlroy needs to shake off the doldrums since winning the Masters for the career Grand Slam, a moment he has said most likely will be the greatest highlight of his career.
He hasn't seriously contended in the six tournaments since then, including two majors. And then he finally made it back to familiar turf in the United Kingdom, where the scenery has his attention.
McIlroy said he could hear the excitement in the voices of friends talking about his Masters win. And there's the anticipation of two weeks of a different brand of golf, the Scottish Open that starts Thursday and then the British Open at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland.
“I think over these last couple of weeks, coming back over here, seeing people that I know that I haven’t seen since Augusta, having conversations about how people felt watching it, obviously rekindles how I felt playing,” McIlroy said Wednesday.
He went home to see his parents with his Masters green jacket. And then it was back to tournament golf, a media tour, more majors, all part of the routine.
“It's been nice to have these couple of weeks to reflect, as well as rekindle my excitement and enthusiasm for the rest of the year," McIlroy said. “We have this week in Scotland and massive week next week in Portrush. I’m excited for the rest of year.”
The Genesis Scottish Open is in its fourth year as a PGA Tour and European tour event, with more to come after Genesis announced it was extending its sponsorship through 2030.
The field features eight of the top 10 players in the world, missing only Russell Henley and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. The test is The Renaissance Club, a hybrid links carved along the Firth of Forth that has matured over the last decade.
It's not a true links, but certainly a true test to get the world's best better prepared for the final major championship of the year.
McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele and most of golf's best players have been away the last two weeks and return to what likely will be a week of mostly sunshine and enough wind to get them acclimated.
Scheffler first played this brand of golf in 2021, before he had won on the PGA Tour and risen to No. 1 at a level not seen since Tiger Woods.
It's about the one area he has yet to master. Scheffler has played seven times during the Scottish-British swing and has yet to finish closer than five shots.
“I think one of the things that surprises us is the way turf is over here,” Scheffler said. “I played in a lot of wind growing up at home. You grow up in Texas, you play in wind all the time, but the wind affects the ball differently because of the turf. This turf is a little bit spinier than the turf at home.”
The 156-player field consists of PGA Tour and European tour members, and up for grabs are the final three spots for Royal Portrush.
But the focus for now is on the Scottish Open, a big tournament with a strong field in its own right, particularly for the defending champion. Robert MacIntyre is from across the country in the tiny coastal town of Oban, and this was the next best thing to a major for him.
He will playing alongside Scheffler and Adam Scott, whom MacIntyre outlasted a year ago.
“It's the biggest golf tournament, I would say, outside of the major championships for me,” MacIntyre said. “I've won it once. But every time I pitch up, I want to win it again.”
MacIntyre played seven straight tournaments on the PGA Tour and probably needed a break more than MacIntyre. He took a few days playing proper links golf at Machrihanish, getting used to the flight of the ball in the wind and how it reacts to the firm ground.
A few other players, like Jake Knapp and Daniel Berger, got an additional taste of links by playing down the coastal road at North Berwick.
It's a different test.
“When it’s like this. I think the turf, the noise of strike when you strike a good iron off links turf, it just sounds a bit different,” McIlroy said. “I think the creativity and the imagination you need around the greens, it's purest form of golf. It’s where golf was invented. It’s where they first played on that sort of land. There’s a nice connection to the past with links golf.”
McIlroy allowed himself a glimpse in a more recent past, and now he's looking ahead to two important weeks with his mind clear and his hopes for more big moments.
“It's amazing what 10 days or two weeks of just a little bit of detachment can do for you,” McIlroy said. “I don't want that to be my last great moment in the game. There's plenty more that I can do.”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
