The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Rory out to mimic Mickelson
RORY MCILROY aims to follow in Phil Mickelson’s footsteps after confirming his return to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open following a five-year absence.
Mickelson won the event at Castle Stuart last year before going on to triumph in the Open at Muirfield seven days later and McIlroy believes the 2014 event at Royal Aberdeen is perfect preparation for the following week’s Major at Hoylake.
McIlroy, whose previous Scottish Open experiences came at Loch Lomond in 2008 and 2009, said: “It’ll be my first time playing Royal Aberdeen.
“I believe it’s a great links with lots of golfing history. I’m really looking forward to the challenge it’ll present”.
“To play some competitive golf on a links course will be great preparation for The Open Championship the following week
“The field is going to be very strong. Aberdeen Asset Management has done a great job in promoting the event and bringing some of the best players in the world there. And Phil (Mickelson) will be back to defend his title”.
“I can think of no better preparation for the Open, especially on a respected course like Royal Aberdeen. There will also be so many similarities I can bring to the following week’s Open Championship”.
The former world No 1 will be hoping his first visit to Aberdeen is a precursor to him returning to Scottish soil two months later as part of Paul McGinley’s European Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles.
McIlroy has made a strong start to 2014, finishing joint runner-up with Mickelson in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and tied ninth in last week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, following on from a winning end to 2013 at the Emirates Australian Open.
He will be hoping to continue that form into the summer and believes it is possible to match Mickelson’s achievement of back-to-backs wins in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open andThe Open Championship.
“Phil winning the double last year made me realise that the Scottish Open is more than good preparation for The Open — he showed it was possible to win both weeks.” he said.
“The Scottish Open going back to a traditional links course was something that made a lot of sense”.
“Yet you can play as much golf on links courses as you want, but until that’s in a competitive environment you can never tell how ready your game will be.
“It really is so important, then, to get some competitive golf on a true, challenging links”.
Scot Russell Knox finished on threeunder at the AT&T Pebble Beach National-Pro-Am in California.
Knox tied with Padraig Harrington in ninth place after carding rounds of 70, 72, 70 and 73 to finish 11 shots behind winner Jimmy Walker.