“Absolutely phenomenal” – Rory McIlroy tips his hat after PGA Tour rival gets his revenge at the Scottish Open

Rory McIlroy was full of praise for Robert MacIntyre, who won the Genesis Scottish Open last week. He jokingly added that he would love to know who put the sprinkler at the 16th hole, which helped the Scot get a free relief that turned the game in his favor.

On Sunday, July 14, Robert MacIntyre beat Adam Scott by one stroke at the Renaissance Golf Club to win the Genesis Scottish Open. This win was an emotional one for him since it was his national open. Additionally, it was the redemption after his heartbreaking loss to Rory McIlroy last year.

On Tuesday, July 16, during the press conference ahead of the Open Championship, the Northern Irishman heaped praise on MacIntyre. He said:

"Absolutely phenomenal what he did last week, especially after what happened last year and coming so close. Love to know who put a sprinkler head there on 16, but it worked out in his favor.

Bob is so proud to be Scottish, and he's so -- he wanted to win that national open more than anything else. To have that chance even last year and to produce the golf and to hole that putt at the last, it was a perfect ending to the tournament. Yeah, really happy for Bob.

It was the same 16th hole for Robert MacIntyre where two different situations resulted in contrasting outcomes. Last year, he made a bogey on that hole and eventually trailed behind the Northern Irishman. This time, he got a lucky free relief due to the sprinkler and converted it into a birdie before making another on the 18th to win his second PGA Tour title.

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When will Rory McIlroy tee off at the Open Championship, Round 1?

Rory McIlroy is set to tee off alongside Max Homa and Tyrrell Hatton for the first two rounds of the Open Championship. The trio will begin their round on Thursday, July 18 at 5:09 am ET. The following day, they will resume their round at 10:10 am ET.

Last week, Rory McIlroy returned to action for the first time since the heartbreaking loss at the US Open. For the uninitiated, a couple of errors on the last few holes resulted in the trophy slipping out of his grip at Pinehurst. However, he took a break to overcome that loss and came back with a T4 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open.

This week, the Northern Irishman is once again entering as one of the top favorites. A win at Royal Troon will end his ten-year-long wait for the fifth major championship.