Rory McIlroy pushed back during a pre-tournament news conference Wednesday after a reporter questioned whether his reduced playing schedule left him rusty and suggested he did not work particularly hard between events.
The exchange came at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open. The tournament began Thursday and serves as McIlroy’s final competitive preparation before The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where championship play is scheduled for July 16 through July 19.
McIlroy was asked if he has to “work a bit harder to get up to speed or to shake off some rust” because he does not compete as frequently as he once did. The reporter then referred to additional practice sessions McIlroy had completed during recent major championships.
“Because we’ve also seen a couple of extra sessions from you on the range, haven’t we?” the reporter continued.
“Have you?” McIlroy replied.
“Augusta, one of the other majors, didn’t you have a storming session?” the reporter asked.
“What do you think I do in my off weeks?” McIlroy shot back.
“Not work that hard. Seems to come easy to you,” the reporter responded.
“No, I work hard,” McIlroy said.
“So nothing more these days? Feeling rusty?” the reporter persisted.
“No,” McIlroy said, bringing the brief exchange to an end. A transcript of the news conference confirmed the back-and-forth over McIlroy’s preparation between tournaments.
The 37-year-old entered the Scottish Open as a six-time major champion and the winner of consecutive Masters titles. McIlroy captured his first green jacket in 2025, completing the career Grand Slam after going without a major championship victory since 2014. He successfully defended his Masters title in April 2026, becoming the fourth golfer to win back-to-back at Augusta National.
His results in the following two majors were less dominant. McIlroy tied for seventh at the PGA Championship before finishing tied for 32nd at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills last month.
Any concern about competitive rust appeared to ease during Thursday’s opening round. McIlroy recorded a 5-under-par 65 and joined Patrick Cantlay, Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger and Rasmus Højgaard in a five-way tie for the lead.
Starting on the back nine, McIlroy combined three birdies with two bogeys. He gained momentum after the turn, making an eagle on the par-5 first hole before adding birdies at Nos. 7 and 8.
The strong opening round placed McIlroy in contention for his second Scottish Open title. He won the tournament in 2023 and finished tied for second in 2025.
