Rory McIlroy Shocks Himself With Epic Winning Putt at Scottish Open

McIlroy hung his head back and laughed after his winning putt on the 72nd hole at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Rory McIlroy executed a series of unbelievable shots to win the Genesis Scottish Open, but the most dramatic moment of all came on the 18th green when the North Irishman couldn’t believe he sunk the winning putt. 

After launching a 2-iron directly at the pin on the challenging par-4, McIlroy was left just outside 10 feet for birdie. A two-putt par would have led to a playoff with Scotland’s Robert McIntyre, but McIlroy ultimately ended it in regulation. However, he didn’t seem to expect such a gratifying result after his ball left the putter face. 

McIlroy’s bizarre reaction gave the impression he had mishit or misread the putt, as he dropped his hand almost immediately from his grip, almost appearing to waiting for it to miss the hole. 

But the putt found the center of the cup, and all McIlroy could do was hang his head back and laugh at the surprisingly satisfying ending to the tournament. 

.@McIlroyRory wins in Scotland for the first time in his career 🏆#GenesisScottishOpen | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/wnWufLN8sZ

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 16, 2023

McIlroy’s birdie at the 18th was just the third birdie made on the hole on Sunday. The Scottish Open marked McIlroy’s 24th PGA Tour victory, and he’ll head to next week’s British Open looking to ride the momentum and end his nine-year major championship drought.