Rory McIlroy praises longtime coach as 'second set of eyes' after steady Genesis Scottish Open start

Rory McIlroy is a part of the star-studded field at the Genesis Scottish Open this week. After a decent start at The Renaissance Club on Thursday, he credited his longtime coach Michael Bannon for playing such a vital role in his journey.

After posting a 2-under-par round, the Northern Irishman explained the value behind having his coach on site this week. Rory McIlroy explained that Michael Bannon serves as a "second set of eyes" while he is trying to rely on his own.

Here's what Rory McIlroy had to say (via ASAP Sports):

"It's good. We talked about him maybe coming to London last week while I was there. But sometimes I feel like it's better if I do some stuff on my own first, and then he puts his eyes on it after I've done a few days of work. Yeah, it's been good to have him here. Me sort of describing to him what I am feeling and what I want to do, and then he just tells me whether he thinks I'm completely wrong or not, and then we meet somewhere in the middle and go from there. It's great to have him here, a second set of eyes. Everything feels pretty good."

McIlroy noted that his process with his coach lies in finding the balance between individual practice and guided feedback. While the career Grand Slam winner often prefers to spend time alone on the range trying to feel out what works best, he said that he trusts his coach to be objective and provide him honest assessments.

Rory McIlroy 2025 Genesis Scottish Open Round 1 Stats

Here's a look at how Rory McIlroy performed at the opening round of the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open (via PGA Tour):

Strokes Gained - Off the Tee

Stat - (- 1.066)
Rank - 138

Strokes Gained - Approach to Green

Stat - (- 0.800)
Rank - 104

Strokes Gained - Around the Green

Stat - (+ 1.415)
Rank - 12

Strokes Gained - Putting

Stat - (+ 2.355)
Rank - 14

Strokes Gained - Total

Stat - (+ 1.903)
Rank - T33

Driving Accuracy

Stat - 30.77 percent (4/13)
Rank - T135

Driving Distance

Stat - 327.40 yards
Rank - 16

Longest Drive

Stat - 367 yards
Rank - T50

Putts per GIR

Stat - 1.85 putts
Rank - T97

Greens in Regulation

Stat - 72.22 percent (13/18)
Rank - T29

Scrambling

Stat - 60 percent (3/5)
Rank - T72

Birdies

Stat - 5
Rank - T14

Pars

Stat - 10
Rank - T114

Bogeys

Stat - 3
Rank - T69

Rory McIlroy posted a 2-under-par 68 round on Thursday. He sits tied for 33rd place after 18 holes and shares the position with 15 other golfers, including Xander Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre.

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in New York, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

Know More

Edited by Tushhita Barua