McIlroy birdies last two holes to take Scottish Open
GULLANE, Scotland — Rory McIlroy birdied the last two holes in whipping wind Sunday for a 2under 68 to win the Genesis Scottish Open, his first victory on Scottish soil, and take a load of confidence into the final major of the year.
McIlroy was one shot behind Robert MacIntyre when he played the slope to near perfection on the par-3 17th for a 4-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead. Then, he delivered what McIlroy called his best shot of the year — a 2-iron into the wind to 10 feet for a final birdie.
It was a heartbreaker for MacIntyre, who was trying to win his national open and delivered a class shot of his own. MacIntyre hammered a 3-wood from the rough on the 18th hole at The Renaissance Club to 4 feet, pumping both fists when it dropped for a 64.
It was a remarkable closing round given the wind that was rough and relentless off the Firth of Forth, and it looked for the longest time that it would give the 26-year-old MacIntyre the signature victory of his young career.
Instead it was McIlroy, who played the tough back nine in 31 and capped it off with two clutch birdies for his first win since the Dubai Desert Classic.
The victory came at an ideal time. McIlroy heads south to Royal Liverpool for the British Open, where he tries to end his nine-year drought in the majors. McIlroy won the claret jug the last time The Open was played at Royal Liverpool in 2014.
McIlroy finished at 15-under 265 and moved past Jon Rahm to No. 2 in the world.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, closed with a 70 and tied for third with Byeong Hun An (70) and David Lingmerth (68). Scheffler has finished among the top five in his last seven tournaments, two of them majors.
Norrman’s 1st win comes in playoff
Vincent Norrman lipped in an 8-footer for bogey on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff, then scrambled for par on the same hole in sudden death to beat Nathan Kimsey and win the Barbasol Championship, his first PGA Tour victory, in Nicholasville, Ky.
The 25-year-old Norrman, a tour rookie who played one year at Florida State after four years at Georgia Southwestern, won in his 23rd career start. The Swede closed with a 66 at Keene Trace to finish at 22-under 266.
Stricker picks up 3rd major of year
Steve Stricker won his third PGA Tour Champions major of the year, capping off a dominant weekend at Firestone in Akron, Ohio, with a 4under 66 for a three-shot victory in the Kaulig Companies Championship.
Stricker was five shots off the lead after a secondround 73, but closed with rounds of 65-66 for an 11-under 269 total. David Toms shot a final-round 65 to finish alone in second at 8 under.
The 56-year-old Stricker won the Regions Tradition in May, then triumphed two weeks later at the Senior PGA Championship. He has five victories this year on the over-50 tour and a lead of more than $2 million over second-place Bernhard Langer on the Charles Schwab Cup money list.
Grant captures 1st LPGA crown
Linn Grant won her first LPGA Tour title after an outstanding start to her career in Europe, enduring a charge from U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz and closing with a 3-under 68 for a three-shot victory in the Dana Open in Sylvania, Ohio.
The 24-year-old Grant has five victories on the Ladies European Tour.