Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Rory McIlroy after his third round at the Scottish Open.Alamy Stock Photo FreeIn Contention McIlroy shares Scottish Open lead heading into final round after brilliant 66 The world number two landed five birdies to sit at the top of the leaderboard alongside American Chris Gotterup. 8.44pm, 12 Jul 2025 Share options RORY MCILROY PUT himself in pole position to win the Scottish Open after he carded a fine four-under par 66 at the Renaissance Club. The world number two landed five birdies, and just one bogey, to leave him on 11-under par for the tournament, and a share of the overnight lead with American Chris Gotterup. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge are two shots back following rounds of 69, tied for third with Americans Wyndham Clark and Jake Knapp. Follow the Scottish Open leaderboard here McIlroy landed his first birdie at the par-five third before dropping a shot at the seventh. However, he bounced back by picking up a shot on the next hole before further birdies at the 10th and par-three 14th. Advertisement The Northern Irishman appeared in slight trouble on the par-five 16th after a wayward drive ended in the deep rough. But a beautiful approach allowed him to roll in a straight uphill birdie putt. He set himself up with another birdie chance at the following par three only to see his putt sail agonisingly wide. A perfect 340-yard tee shot at the concluding hole put him in the driving seat once more, but again his birdie attempt rolled narrowly past the hole. However, McIlroy’s encouraging performance – with clear signs of him being back at his best – comes at a crucial time with The Open at Royal Portrush to follow next week. It also marks a significant improvement on McIlroy’s form since he won the Masters in April to complete the Grand Slam. And he said on Sky Sports: “It is my first realistic chance to win after the Masters. “I have had a great season but yes, and I have said this before, when you do something you that have dreamt of for your whole life, and then do it, it was a huge moment in my life and career. “I just need that little bit of time, and to be back here for the last couple of weeks and digest all of it, I feel like I came here for this tournament with renewed enthusiasm and excitement for the rest of the year.” World number 158 Gotterup equalled the course record with nine birdies in a bogey-free 61 on Friday to start the third day two shots clear. However, he will start the final day on level terms with McIlroy following a level-par round featuring two birdies and the same number of bogeys. Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington is on one-over after a third round of 72 which included four bogeys along with birdies on the fifth and 10th holes. Press Association Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “McIlroy shares Scottish Open lead heading into final round after brilliant 66”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “McIlroy shares Scottish Open lead heading into final round after brilliant 66”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Chris Gotterup In Contention Rory McIlroy Scottish Open News in 60 seconds FreeDecider Seventh All-Ireland final beckons for Kerry's self-styled football outsider 33 mins ago Freesummer tests 14-man Springboks overcome early Wiese red card to nil Italy FreeKingdom Come 1-9 for David Clifford as Kerry blitz old foes Tyrone and make All-Ireland final Declan Bogue Reports from Croke Park Portugal v Ireland, Summer Series Swiatek destroys Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win Wimbledon title in just 57 minutes FreeLilywhites Kildare win Tailteann Cup after repelling Limerick's last-gasp attack FreeAs it happened Kerry v Tyrone, All-Ireland SFC semi-final As it happened Lions v AUNZ Invitational XV, Australia Tour 2025 FreeAs it happened Kerry v Tyrone, All-Ireland SFC semi-final Katie Taylor defeats Amanda Serrano for third time and ends their rivalry in New York Gavan Casey Reports from Madison Square Garden Portugal v Ireland, Summer Series more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account