Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay are part of a five-way tie for the lead in the Genesis Scottish Open. McIlroy began getting into the mood for the final major of the year by taking advantage of the par 5s at The Renaissance Club for a 5-under 65.
Strong Start for McIlroy and Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay made a little noise in an otherwise quiet year for the American with five birdies in 10 holes and then a collection of tough par saves at the end that felt just as valuable. He also was at 65, along with Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger and Rasmus Hojgaard.
Hojgaard was the only player of the leading five to play in the afternoon, when the wind began to calm. He was at 6 under with four holes to play but found a bunker off the 16th, went into the rough and took double bogey.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world searching for his first win since January, made three straight birdies around the turn and was slowed by a long three-putt bogey on the 11th, followed by a drive into a bunker that kept him from reaching the green at the par-5 12th. Scheffler failed to birdie any of the three par 5s in his round of 68.
McIlroy felt about the same. He was tied for the 18-hole lead for the first time since the Masters, but this didn’t feel like anything special except for seizing on the easiest scoring chances.
McIlroy holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 first hole — he started his round on No. 10 — to go along with a pair of birdies on the other two par 5s at The Renaissance Club. That made his round and his scorecard feel a little better.
Cantlay hasn’t won in nearly four years and slipped to No. 37 in the world after missing the cut in the U.S. Open, his lowest ranking in more than eight years. He’s had three top 10s and four other finishes in the top 20. It hasn’t been horrible, but he has lacked a spark and might have found one.
The Scottish Open is co-sanctioned by the European tour and PGA Tour, the ideal place to be for those wanting to get acclimated for the British Open, whether it’s the seaside air, the time zone or a slightly slower set of greens.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
