What about that then? They were just about in the process of hanging up the celebratory bunting on McCaig’s Tower to honour a famous victory by Oban’s Robert MacIntyre in the Genesis Scottish Open. And then, in MacIntyre’s own words, Rory McIlroy came along “and just does what Rory McIlroy does.” What a party pooper, eh?
What McIlroy conjured, of course, was the stuff of a truly world class champion as he birdied the final two holes at a wind-swept Renaissance club to plunder the title by a single shot from the gallant MacIntyre and claim his first ever win on Scottish soil with a 68 for a 15-under tally.
His majestic, drilled two-iron to the last to 10-feet which set up the title-winning birdie was a masterclass in links golf. It had been a day of thrilling theatre.
McIlroy had finished in the top-10 in his last five starts and, in three of those, he held at least a share of the lead at one point during the final round. Yesterday, the 34-year-old got the job done in supreme fashion and will head to The Open at Hoylake, scene of his Claret Jug win in 2014, with a mighty spring in his step.
“I've had my chances over the last couple of months and I’ve been knocking on the door,” he said of these various close shaves and near misses. “I just haven't quite been able to get it done. Hopefully this breaks the seal and we can go on from here.”
With a wonderful performance of poise and purpose, MacIntyre, five shots behind 54-hole leader McIlroy at the start of the day, stirred the local galleries with the kind of bold assault that should have been accompanied by a rousing skirl of the pipes.
His harnessing of the boisterous conditions was exceptional and a best-of-the-day six-under 64 for a 14-under aggregate set a robust clubhouse standard. The way it was completed will linger long in the memory. The golfing gods were with him off the 18th tee as his drive drifted left but, fortunately, it found a nice lie in the trampled spectator walkway. The smile on MacIntyre’s face as he walked up to his ball was the expression of a man who knew he had been jammy.
From there, the 26-year-old unleashed a tremendous three-wood from some 212 yards and it came to rest just three feet from the hole. “It was probably the best shot I’ve hit in my life,” he said.
The jubilant roar that accompanied the resulting birdie putt could have cracked the Bass Rock and the enormity of the moment was clear for all to see in MacIntyre’s emotional reaction. It had been a sterling effort. All he could do was retreat to a tele inside a hut at the driving rage and watch McIlroy play the last few holes.
The Northern Irishman, who had led the field by a stroke going into the final day, endured a topsy-turvy outward half and had reached the turn in two-over as the leaderboard became so congested, you just about needed the jaws of life to prise the numerous players apart.
It was easy, of course, to leak shots as the wind whipped over the links and yardage books went flying out of the window. Min Woo Lee, a former Scottish Open champion, hit a pitching wedge 225 yards. McIlroy clattered a drive a whopping 427 yards. It was that kind of day.
Another monstrous drive on the 11th kickstarted McIlroy’s recovery and a birdie there was followed by a raking putt of 40-feet on the 14th as he drew level at the top.
As the ebb and flow intensified, McIlroy spurned a good birdie chance from six-feet at the 16th to inch ahead. With MacIntyre already home and hosed at 14-under, it could have been a costly miss.
“Once I missed that putt, I was like, okay if I can somehow birdie 17 or 18 and get myself into a play-off, that's all I was really hoping for,” he said. “I think birdieing one of the last two is a great achievement.”
To birdie both of them – only three players managed a three on the 18th – was a grand effort.
“I hit a 5-iron on 17,” added McIlroy of a corker that landed four-feet from the hole and provided the prelude to his grandstand finish. “And then I had that 2-iron into the last. They are two of the best iron shots I can remember hitting, especially under the circumstances.
“That was such a tough day, especially on the back nine. To play that in four-under-par to win the tournament? I’m really proud of how I stuck in there. I hit some amazing shots down the stretch and was able to finish it off. It feels incredible.”
Amid his own jubilation, there were words of consoling encouragement for the resurgent MacIntyre.
“If he can shoot 64 on a day like today, he can do anything,” said McIlroy of his title rival. “That was an unbelievable round of golf. And it's great to see him back in form, especially at an important point of the year when he's looking to try to make that Ryder Cup team."
Behind the sparring duo, Scottie Scheffler, the world No 1, shared third on 10-under with David Lingmerth and Ben An. In the end, though, they were mere footnotes in this Renaissance masterpiece.
