Rory McIlroy spots crucial flaw ahead of The Open despite late Scottish Open charge

Rory McIlroy believes he has identified the key issue holding back his game just days before The Open, despite finishing the Genesis Scottish Open with an impressive final-round 64 that reignited confidence.

The world No. 2 looked destined to challenge for the title after opening with rounds of 65 and 66 at the Renaissance Club. However, a difficult, weather-disrupted third round of 73 saw him slip down the leaderboard and seemingly out of contention.

McIlroy responded in style on Sunday, producing eight birdies in a superb closing round to finish 12-under-par. While the score matched his best round of the season, the Northern Irishman admitted his performance also exposed a technical flaw that must be corrected before golf's final major.

"I know exactly what's causing the problem," McIlroy explained after his round. "It's mainly with my iron play. When I practice or play in a left-to-right wind, I develop a habit of swinging too far left through impact, and that sends my approach shots off target."

Although encouraged by the improvements he made between rounds, McIlroy acknowledged that the issue hasn't completely disappeared.

"I definitely struck the ball better today than I did yesterday. I managed the clubface much better and my putting was excellent—that's the biggest difference between shooting 73 and shooting 64. But there were still a few poor iron shots out there."

The Masters champion admitted that Saturday's long day, interrupted by heavy fog delays, disrupted his rhythm and contributed to his struggles.

"I felt in complete control after the opening two rounds. Then everything changed yesterday. The delays affected my momentum, and I lost my swing a little. Thankfully I was able to figure out what was happening before the final round."

Despite the encouraging finish, McIlroy insists more work is needed before arriving at Royal Birkdale for The Open.

"It's nice to end the week with a good score, but I'm not completely comfortable with my game yet. I need to spend the next few days fixing this issue. The positive thing is that I know what the problem is, and I don't think I'm far away."

McIlroy briefly threatened to make a dramatic run at the title after birdieing five of his first seven holes on Sunday. He also bounced back from a bogey at the ninth with consecutive birdies on the back nine before another errant approach at the 16th cost him a shot. A closing birdie helped him finish on a positive note heading into the biggest event of the summer.

As one of the favourites for The Open, McIlroy now hopes a few final adjustments can turn promising signs into another major championship challenge