Rory McIlroy refreshed ahead of Scottish Open after 'hiding' and 'detaching' from PGA Tour 'grind'
Watch Rory McIlroy in action on Sky Sports at the Scottish Open from Thursday through to Sunday, and at The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush the following weekend; watch the tournaments live this month on Sky Sports or stream with no contract
Thursday 10 July 2025 12:04, UK
Rory McIlroy hopes going into hiding for a couple of weeks has helped him recharge as he prepares for the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club.
Masters champion McIlroy has taken a break since finishing in a tie for sixth at the Travelers Championship last month, which saw a welcome upturn in form following a testing run since his Augusta triumph.
Having settled into a new family home in Wentworth, McIlroy feels being able to get away from the "grind" of the PGA Tour circuit has sharpened his focus on a strong run in North Berwick ahead of his challenge for another Open crown at Royal Portrush.
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"The one thing I would say about the last couple of weeks is I felt like I could detach a little bit more and sort of hide in a way," the world No 2 said at a press conference.
"Sometimes you need that to completely get away. I feel like this world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it.
"Justin Rose and I came up here together yesterday [Tuesday] and we were just chatting about how there is a detachment from the sort of week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here, from when you play PGA Tour for that sort of first 25 to 30 weeks of the year.
"It has been lovely to get back and see some familiar faces, and is the first time back playing in the UK since what happened at Augusta, which is a really nice feeling as well."
McIlroy, who won the Scottish Open in 2023 and then finished tied fourth last year, added: "I don't think I started out too well here but I have learned how to play the course a little bit better.
"Obviously I had that great finish in 2023, then played well again last year, so I am looking forward to getting out there tomorrow [Thursday]."
Robert MacIntyre secured a memorable Scottish Open victory last year, winning on home soil by one stroke ahead of Adam Scott.
"I think the pressure is off, obviously with me saying how much I wanted [to win] this golf tournament," said US Open runner-up MacIntyre, who was the first Scottish winner of the event in 25 years.
"But the expectation is not from me - from outside and the fans, the expectation is through the roof.
"I can't control that, so I have just got to go out there [and] prepare as well as I can."
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler will tee off on Thursday morning in a group alongside MacIntyre and Scott.
"If I wanted to just do preparation [for the Open] I would have gone and played some other golf courses for fun," said Scheffler, who is on a run of nine consecutive top-10 finishes.
"Tournament golf is a little bit different - being here in the right conditions, in the wind, getting used to the time [difference] and stuff like that.
"This is an important tournament for me and is a tournament I want to play well in."
As well as Ryder Cup qualification points being on the line for the likes of MacIntyre and England's Tommy Fleetwood, the leading three players not already exempt to make the cut will qualify for The Open.
When is The Open live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports is once again the exclusive home of The Open, with live coverage from all seven days of tournament week from July 14-20 and round-the-clock coverage of the final men's major of the year.
There are seven hours of live coverage on the Monday and Tuesday practice days at Royal Portrush before a bumper nine hours of live programming on Wednesday, starting at 9am each morning.
Wall-to-wall coverage of The Open then begins at 6.30pm on Thursday July 17, with live action available for all four tournament days and a host of extra feeds also available. Not got Sky? Stream The Open and more with no contract.
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