Journalist Rex Hoggard has shared what he plans to ask Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open as the Northern Irishman prepares to make his first return to competitive golf since the heartbreaking conclusion to the US Open in June.
There is absolutely no question who the headline name in the field for the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club is, as many of the world’s best get one final tournament in before The Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Rory McIlroy has not been seen on a golf course since leaving Pinehurst No. 2 almost as soon as Bryson DeChambeau holed the putt which clinched the US Open.
McIlroy was clearly devastated to miss out, having led by two at one stage on the back nine. But three bogeys in his final four holes saw the 35-year-old lose by one. And of course, many will fear that McIlroy will forever be haunted by missing two three-foot putts in the last three holes.
What Rory McIlroy can expect to be asked at Scottish Open
DeChambeau was surprised to hear McIlroy had left the course rather than stayed to congratulate him. And the four-time major champion confirmed shortly after that he would be taking a break until the Scottish Open.
The media were also denied the chance to speak to McIlroy after the US Open, so ahead of the tournament in North Berwick, Rex Hoggard shared on the Golf Channel Podcast what he plans to ask McIlroy when he gets the opportunity.
“I will say everything we wanted to ask him on Sunday at Pinehurst. What were the emotions, I do want to know that, and I guess if you transition from that, was it a learning experience at all? He’s talked about this before, about the idea that every time he’s lost, he’s learned something from it, he’s gotten better, he’s given himself an opportunity, so are you really going to do this this time around,” he said.
“The idea that every time you’ve put yourself into this situation where you’ve suffered this heartbreaking loss and you’ve put yourself out there in front of the world, you’ve learned something from it: what did you learn from this particular instance? And yes, I still want to know because we didn’t have the opportunity to ask him on Sunday night at Pinehurst, and I guess going forward, The Open Championship, this is your last chance to get off the major snide, is there a sense of urgency now in everything you’re going to do building up to Royal Troon.”
Northern Irishman will know what lies ahead
Unfortunately for McIlroy, who would probably love to completely forget about the US Open, the questions simply have to be asked, and he will know what is coming his way when he appears in front of the media.
It was impossible to not have sympathy for McIlroy after what happened at Pinehurst, but he made a mistake when he left the property almost immediately.
It would not be a surprise if he remained at a loss to explain almost anything that happened in the last couple of hours he spent in North Carolina. But if he is going to end his major drought, you really get the feeling that he needs to respond at the first time of asking – just as he did at the 2011 US Open.
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