Rory McIlroy ranks his top 3 shots from Friday round at the Genesis Scottish Open

Rory McIlroy had a strong second round at the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, shooting a 5-under 65 to move into a tie for seventh on the leaderboard on Friday, July 11. He revealed his top three shots of the day after a brilliant round of golf in North Berwick, Scotland. The five-time major winner now sits four shots behind leader Chris Gotterup going into the weekend at The Renaissance Club.

After opening with a 2-under 68 on Thursday, Rory McIlroy started his second round from the 10th hole and made a fast start. He carded five birdies on his first nine holes to turn in 5-under 30. On his back nine, he added another birdie on the par-4 fifth but dropped a shot on the par-4 eighth, finishing with an even-par 35. That brought his round total to 65, putting him at overall 7-under for the tournament.

Speaking after his round, Rory McIlroy was asked about his best shots of the day. He said (via DP World Tour on Instagram):

“Top three shots of the day? I’d say the pitching wedge into 15, 4-iron into 7, and probably the putt on the first hole of the park, just to keep it down.”

Here is Rory McIlroy's hole-by-hole scorecard from Round 2:

• Hole 10 – Par 5 – Birdie 4
• Hole 11 – Par 4 – Par 4
• Hole 12 – Par 3 – Birdie 2
• Hole 13 – Par 4 – Par 4
• Hole 14 – Par 3 – Birdie 2
• Hole 15 – Par 4 – Birdie 3
• Hole 16 – Par 5 – Birdie 4
• Hole 17 – Par 3 – Par 3
• Hole 18 – Par 4 – Par 4

Out Total – Par 35 – 30 (-5)

• Hole 1 – Par 4 – Par 4
• Hole 2 – Par 4 – Par 4
• Hole 3 – Par 5 – Par 5
• Hole 4 – Par 4 – Par 4
• Hole 5 – Par 4 – Birdie
• Hole 6 – Par 3 – Par 3
• Hole 7 – Par 4 – Par 4
• Hole 8 – Par 4 – Bogey 5
• Hole 9 – Par 3 – Par 3

In Total – Par 35 – 35 (E)

Round Total: Par 70 – 65 (-5)

The Genesis Scottish Open is McIlroy’s 13th start of the 2025 season. In his last appearance, he finished tied for sixth at the Travelers Championship with a score of 12-under par.

Rory McIlroy highlights the challenge of staying at the top

Before entering the Scottish Open event, Rory McIlroy claimed longevity is one of the most underrated achievements in sports. The World No. 2 shared his thoughts on how maintaining peak performance over the years demands even more effort than climbing to the top.

During his pre-tournament press conference, Rory McIlroy drew parallels between golf and other elite sports, saying:

"I think it’s one of the underappreciated things about any sport and anyone, like you look at what Novak Djokovic is doing at Wimbledon over the last couple of weeks, or what someone like Cristiano Ronaldo is still doing at 40 years old, or a Tom Brady in American football. That longevity piece, I think, is something that maybe isn't talked about enough because once you get to a certain level."

He explained that the initial climb in a sporting career often comes with momentum, but sustaining success requires a different level of commitment. He added:

"I feel like the journey on the way up is almost, it's not, I'm not going to say it's easy, but you have that momentum and you're riding that wave to the top and then once you get there, yeah, it takes just as much work if not more work to stay there."

Rory McIlroy himself is a prime example of such longevity. With five major titles, including the 2025 Masters that completed his career Grand Slam, three FedExCup championships, six Race to Dubai crowns, and 29 PGA Tour wins, he has remained a top contender in golf for more than a decade.