Concerns have been raised about Rory McIlroy after the six-time major champion admitted a specific wind direction caused problems with his swing during the Genesis Scottish Open.
McIlroy appeared capable of challenging for the title for much of the tournament at The Renaissance Club. However, a difficult third round damaged his chances before he recovered with his lowest score of the week on Sunday.
The Northern Irish golfer finished tied for seventh at 12 under, five strokes behind winner Tom Kim. McIlroy matched Kim’s scores in the first, second and final rounds, but his 3-over 73 in the third round proved costly.
McIlroy later explained that practicing in a left-to-right wind had caused his club path and face to move too far apart. His comments prompted Golf Channel analyst Rex Hoggard to question why the recurring issue persisted for one of the sport’s most accomplished players.
Rory McIlroy Identifies Wind Problem After Scottish Open Collapse
Fog interrupted Saturday’s third round, forcing McIlroy to return Sunday morning to complete his final holes. He struggled early in the round and played his first nine holes in 4 over without making a birdie.
McIlroy said he needed to practice in the opposite direction of the wind before traveling to Royal Birkdale for The Open Championship.
“I just need to hit some balls in a right-to-left wind. That usually helps me,” McIlroy said after his final round. “Again, it’s the same thing that I get a lot when I start hitting balls in a left-to-right wind like it has been over the weekend.”
McIlroy explained that the conditions affected the relationship between his swing path and his clubface position.
“My path and my face just get too far apart, in terms of like my face is just further left than my path is, and I start hitting these left shots, especially with the irons,” he said. “I just get into that bad habit of hitting it further left than the path at impact.”
Although McIlroy recovered during the closing stretch, his difficult start left him too far behind the leaders.
Golf Channel Analyst Raises Concerns About Rory McIlroy’s Explanation
Hoggard discussed McIlroy’s comments during the “Golf Channel Podcast” and noted that the golfer has mentioned the issue multiple times this season.
“He always goes back to the right-to-left wind on the range,” Hoggard said. “He’s talked about this a couple of times over the course of this season. I think it came up at The Players Championship, and this has been something he’s talked about. And every player has a tendency, and I understand that.”
Hoggard said McIlroy’s dramatic change in form during the third round stood out after his strong start to the tournament.
“For him to be cruising like he was, he got off to an almost flawless start, and to completely unravel on the first nine of that third round, he was four over par through nine holes, didn’t come close to making a birdie, it was just an ugly nine holes,” he said.
The analyst questioned whether McIlroy’s explanation focused more on the conditions than a potential technical problem.
“So I’m curious if Rory’s mindset is less about blaming it on something that’s wrong with his swing and just blaming it on the circumstances,” Hoggard said.
Rory McIlroy’s Wind Admission Raises Concerns Before The Open Championship