Rory McIlroy commits to playing Scottish Open in busy July schedule
By Keith Jackson
Last Updated: 13/06/17 10:36pm
Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he has added the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open to his schedule for next month.
McIlroy is wary of going into The Open with a lack of competitive golf having missed several weeks of the year due to a troublesome rib injury, and he has committed to playing at Dundonald Links near Troon before heading to Royal Birkdale.
The world No 2 is also in action the week before as he acts as both tournament host and defending champion at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Portstewart, and he is considering adding further events to his schedule depending on his results.
"I'm going to play the Irish, Scottish and The Open, which is great, a great links round," said McIlroy ahead of the US Open at Erin Hills, his first outing since aggravating his rib problem at The Players Championship last month.
"I'm contemplating a couple, or another one in the summer, but we'll see how it goes guess. If I'm able to knock off a couple of big ones, that schedule changes a little bit, but I'm definitely going to play the Scottish.
"I don't know much about Dundonald, I know it's close to Troon but that's really about it. I know I can drive there, I have to get the boat from Larne to Troon so that will be fine."
McIlroy's focus this week will be on defying a lack of tournament golf and claim a second US Open title, and he is fully aware that his four major victories so far have been set up by fast starts.
He led after the first rounds of the 2011 US Open and the 2014 Open Championship, and he was just one off the lead after the opening rounds of each of his PGA Championship wins in 2012 and 2104.
"If you look at how I've started the majors that I've won, I've sort of led from the front," he added. "I shot 65 at Congressional, I shot 67 at Kiawah Island, I shot 66 at Hoylake and shot 66 again at Valhalla. So it is imperative for me to get off to a good start, and I haven't been able to do that lately.
"I don't know if that's putting a little too much pressure on myself and that's something I've had a lot of time to think about over the last few weeks and sort of figure out what I need to do to get back to winning majors and being in contention.
"There was a period there between 2010 and 2014 where I would start majors very well, and it's just a matter of figuring out why that was. I think it's a lot to do with preparation. I feel like if you prepare 100 per cent the right way, mentally that puts you in a great frame of mind to go out there and attack the golf course.
"So that's what I've tried to do this week, and hopefully it pays off."
