When Rory McIlroy returns to action for the first time since his heartbreaking second-place finish at the US Open last month at Pinehurst, he will receive a stirring boost by stepping onto the Scottish Open golf course.
A plaque has been installed at the Renaissance Club in honour of McIlroy’s penultimate shot at last year’s tournament, which helped him secure victory.
McIlroy approached the green from more than 200 yards and landed 11 feet from the hole while playing into 40-mph winds.
Video of the shot shows the obvious topspin on the ball, as well as the windy conditions with the flag flapping back and forth. McIlroy showed a rare emotion on the course midway through the round after the shot, smiling at how well he placed the ball knowing the difficulty of the shot.
McIlroy would secure the victory with a birdie putt on his next shot.
Rory McIlroy has been in the news for many non-golf related reasons over the past few months.
After his disappointment at the US Open, McIlroy will return to action this weekend in Scotland
McIlroy’s past few months have been a whirlwind, mentally and physically.
The golf world was stunned by the news that McIlroy had filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll on May 13, days before the start of one of the most important tournaments of the year, the PGA Championship.
The event was played at Valhalla, Kentucky, and McIlroy won the last time a major tournament was held at that course.
The Northern Irishman did not live up to expectations that day, but he had a chance at redemption at the US Open.
Days before the start of that milestone tournament, McIlroy announced he was calling off his split from Stoll, and the couple and their 3-year-old daughter Poppy have been seen together in public ever since.
However, that professional recovery ended up sinking McIlroy even deeper into despair on the court.
McIlroy missed two putts from less than six feet and it cost him a major title, which would have been his first in more than a decade.
McIlroy quickly left the North Carolina course after the one-stroke loss to Bryson DeChambeau and has not played in a tournament since.
Now, back in his home country and with his personal life quiet, McIlroy will be looking to get back to winning ways in golf.