Rory McIlroy hit a mammoth 427 yards drive on the seventh hole at the Renaissance Golf Club during the final fourth round. The Northern Irish golfer has been playing at the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open and maintains the lead after playing on the 68 holes.
The PGA Tour shared a clip of Rory McIlroy's incredible shot on its Twitter account, saying:
"427-yard drive from @McIlroyRory. It's his longest drive of the season by 40 yards @scottishopen."
Fans took to the comments section to praise the star golfer. They wrote:
"Depending on how I’m playing I might need 3 shots for that!?"
"Phenomenal!"
"WHAT. A. BEAUTY."
Here are some more reactions from fans:
The fourth round of the Genesis Scottish Open has begun, with Robert MacIntyre and Rory McIlroy competing to maintain the lead and took home the trophy this week.
McIlroy bogeyed the first hole of the final round before birding the next. With three holes remaining, he had four bogeys and two birdies on the front nine and two birdies on the back nine.
What is the longest drive in golf history?
Carl Copper made the longest drive in golf history, according to Sportsnaut. During the 1992 Texas Open, he hit a shot from the sixth tee that went 787 yards before coming to rest behind the twelfth green. Copper held the all-time record for the longest drive in a tournament in golf history.
Interestingly, Rory McIlroy's best friend Tiger Woods also made one of the longest drives in golf history. During the 2002 Mercedes Championship, he posted a 498-yard drive at Hawaii's Plantation Course in Kapalua.
Rory McIlroy's performance recap at the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open
The 2023 Genesis Scottish Open went into play on Thursday, July 13. On the 10th hole, Rory McIlroy teed off with defending champion Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas for the first round. He made a bogey on the second hole before swiftly carding an eagle on the third. On the fifth hole, he made a birdie.
McIlroy finished with a score of 64 after making five birdies and one bogey on the back nine holes. He began the second round by birdieing the opening hole. He shot 66 with three birdies on the front nine and two birdies and a bogey on the back nine.
The Irish golfer continued to demonstrate his honed golfing talents by making more birdies as the event went on. On Saturday, he had five birdies and only two bogeys to finish with a score of 69. McIlroy has five birdies and four bogeys in the final round.
It is pertinent to note that Genesis Scottish Open is the only event before the golfers will be headed to compete in the last major of the year, The Open Championship. The tournament will take place from July 20 to July 23 at the Royal Liverpool.
Rory McIlroy won The Open Championship in 2014 and would be looking forward to adding another major trophy to his resume.