Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RORY’S SCOTS BLAST BEFORE PORTRUSH BID
RORY MCILROY claims the Scottish Open course is too easy to help him gear up for the Open next week.
The Holywood man wants to use this week to tune up for the biggest Major of his career at Royal Portrush in front of a massive swell of home support.
But the softened greens and easy pin positions yesterday at the Renaissance Club made it target golf for the pros, who took full advantage with more than 100 of the field shooting under par.
Mcilroy’s four-under-par 67 was still four shots shy of the leaders, including Matt Kuchar and Edoardo Molinari.
Molinari is chasing one of the last three qualifying spots that would see him join his brother, defending champion Francesco, at Portrush.
But afterwards Mcilroy admitted the challenge they faced should have been much stiffer. He said: “I think they were pretty generous in terms of the course set-up because they have never been here before.
“The rain softened things up and any links course we come to without much wind is going to be ripped apart.
“You don’t want to get worn out but at the same time you want this to be a bit of a challenge.
“The greens have been slow all week. Definitely a lot slower than what we’re used to seeing week in, week out. They are just being a little careful in terms of the green speeds.”
Meanwhile, Molinari (inset) will gladly swap a holiday on the beaches of Portofino for a week in Portrush if it means competing alongside younger brother Francesco as he defends his Open title.
Three places in the year’s final major are up for grabs for players who finish in the top 10 at the ASI Scottish Open and Edoardo occupies one of them after an opening 63 on a day of incredibly low scoring at The Renaissance Club.
At eight under par Molinari shared the lead with Matt Kuchar, Romain Wattel and Nino Bertasio, although 53 players shot four under par or better and level par was only good enough for 119th place in the 156-man field.
“I was very close to qualifying for the Open last week, I only missed by a couple of shots in the end,” 2010 Scottish Open champion Molinari said after a round containing two eagles, five birdies and a solitary bogey.
“It would obviously be special to be there when Francesco is the defending champion. That would be a great thing. But I’m not planning on going if I don’t make it in. I’ve planned a summer holiday with my wife and two kids, so I definitely won’t go.
“If I’m not at Portrush I will be lying on the beach in Portofino, although I’ll definitely watch some golf in the evenings, over the weekend, certainly.”
Wattel and Bertasio are also chasing the Open places along with the likes of Lee Slattery and Jamie Donaldson, who won the Irish Open when it was staged at Royal Portrush in 2012.