This July’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open is not short of star attractions but the organisers may just be making a premature assault on the hospitality bubbly to toast the fact that Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he will travel to Dundonald Links for the domestic showpiece.
McIlroy hosts and competes in his own Irish Open the week before the Scottish event and it was widely accepted that he would skip Dundonald before reappearing the following week in the Open at Royal Birkdale.
Three weeks of rigorous links golf will certainly be a test but McIlroy, who has had a stop-start campaign due to injury, is clearly keen to get as much competitive action in as possible. With the Irish Open and the Scottish Open part of the European Tour’s lucrative new Rolex Series, McIlroy’s appearance in both is a major coup for the circuit’s top brass.
The Northern Irishman last played in the Scottish Open in 2014 at Royal Aberdeen, the week before he won the Open at Hoylake, but missed the 2015 championship at Gullane after picking up an injury playing 5-aside football which also meant he couldn’t defend the Claret Jug at St Andrews.
McIlroy didn’t put the 2016 Scottish Open at Castle Stuart in his diary but, speaking ahead of the US Open, the world No 2 confirmed he will be heading to Ayrshire for a step into the golfing unknown.
“I don't know much about Dundonald,” confessed McIlroy. “I know it's close to Troon. That's really about it. I know I can drive there. I have to get the boat from Larne to Troon but will be fine.
“So I'm going to play the Irish, the Scottish and the Open which is great, great links (rota). And then I'm contemplating another one (event) in the summer. But we'll see how it goes. If I'm able to knock off a couple of big ones (wins) that schedule changes a little bit, but I'm definitely going to play the Scottish.”
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