2023 Genesis Scottish Open second round leaderboard, scores

No player in the field at The Renaissance Club has been better than McIlroy when it comes to Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green this week. He has gained nearly 10 strokes on the field. It’s when McIlroy gets to the green where he’s struggling.

And to say the leader is struggling on the greens may mean bad news for the rest of the field.

McIlroy shot 4-under 66 on Friday to move into the top spot heading to the weekend. Gusty winds and rain are going to provide a true links test the next two days, but McIlroy has set the pace and put himself in a spot where everyone wants to be.

“I hit the ball really well tee-to-green, gave myself a ton of looks,” McIlroy said. “Honestly it felt like 4 under was probably the worst I could have shot out there. But you know, it swings in roundabouts. I held a couple of long ones yesterday to shoot a good score, and then missed a couple today, but overall, really pleased with how the last two days have went.”

McIlroy was 5 under after 16 but made a bogey on the par-3 17th after he failed to get up-and-down. On the 18th, he made a good save after his tee shot found the thick right rough and his second shot was right of the green.

For as good as he is from tee to green, he’s losing half a stroke on the greens, and he has still made a lot of putts. Yet there have been just as many birdie opportunities that have slid past and not gone in. However, no one is beating McIlroy after 36 holes.

He has finished in the top 10 in his last five starts, dating to the PGA Championship. Next week, he defends his Open Championship title from 2014 at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake.

Up first, however, is battling the Scottish elements and trying to win for the first time since last October at the CJ Cup.

“I don’t really have any expectations,” McIlroy said of the weekend. “It would be silly of me to try to pick a potential target score to get to. Just embrace the conditions and just sort of make the best of them.

“I know that I’m playing well enough tee-to-green to give myself some looks and hang in there, so I’m pretty confident going into the next two days no matter what the weather throws at us.”