“I'm pretty close the level I was at going into the Masters": McIlroy co-leader

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy gave himself a chance to definitively shrug off his Masters hangover and head to The Open on a high when he grabbed a share of the lead in the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club.

The 2023 champion has struggled to reset after becoming just the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters at Augusta National in April.

But after carding a four-under 66 to share the lead with American Chris Gotterup on 11-under-par at the Renaissance Club, two clear of the field, he feels he's had time to "digest" that momentous victory and believes his game is close to where it was in April.

"It's my first realistic chance to win after the Masters," McIlroy said after a five-birdie round in a testing breeze.  

"I've had a great season. I won at Pebble, I won The Players. But look, I've said this when you do something that you've been dreaming of your whole life, to do something that was a huge moment in my life and my career, I think I just needed that little bit of time.

"And to be back here for the last couple of weeks, I feel like I could actually digest all of it. I feel like I came to this tournament with sort of renewed enthusiasm and excitement for the rest of the year."

Happy with his form with the driver and believing he's overcome his battle to conquer a left-to-right wind, he sounded a word of warning to his rivals at Royal Portrush next week.

"I think I'm pretty close to being back to the level I was at going into the Masters," he said.

"I think I've had a little bit of a lull, which I feel is understandable. So I'm just getting back to the level that I know that I can play at."

Overnight leader Gotterup shot a level par 70 to share the lead with McIlroy, who feels he has slowly improved in the left-to-right winds that had caused him problems in the first two rounds.

"I'm pretty much there," the Hollywood star said of his game, which he rated at 80 per cent on Thursday.

"One of the things I was wanting to work on was my ball flight in that left-to-right wind.

"I don't know if it's luck or whatever, but you know, the wind on the range now is straight off the left. It has been for the last day and a half.

"It's been nice to hit some balls in that wind direction and get a feel for that. I feel like I controlled my ball flight well today in the little bit of wind that was out there and my game is pretty good on the greens.  

"My lag putting has been good. All the things you need to do well on links golf to succeed."

McIlroy has received a hero's welcome in Scotland and hopes for more of the same in the final round as he heads out with Gottreup with a two-shot lead over English duo Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge and American pair Jake Knapp and Wyndham Clark.

"I'm excited to get out there," McIlroy added. "The atmosphere has been great all week. Obviously, the weather helps that.  

"Tee times are pushed up a little bit, so hopefully get the business done early-ish and I can watch the last two or three sets of the Wimbledon final."

Pádraig Harrington also got another round of links practice under his belt and made four bogeys and two birdies in a 72 to share 66th on one over

In the weather-delayed ISCO Championship, Conor Purcell shot a rollercoaster 70 to share 28th on level par at Hurstbourne Country Club in Kentucky.

The Dubliner bogeyed the first after driving into water and triple bogeyed the fourth after flying the green.

But he fought back with birdie at the seventh, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th only to bogey the 17th and 18th.

Due to lightning in the area, play was suspended at 1:24 p.m. ET and resumed at 3 p.m., a delay of 1 hour, 36 minutes. Play was again suspended due to lightning at 5:10 p.m. and resumed at 7:05 p.m., an additional delay of 1 hour, 55 minutes for a total delay of 3 hours, 31 minutes. Darkness stopped play at 9:00 p.m. with 12 players remaining.

Paul Peterson was 10 under through 15 holes, one ahead of overnight leader Chan Kim, who was two over for his third round through 12 holes.