UNREAL Finish in Scotland: Rory McIlroy Birdies Last Two To Break Robert MacIntyre's Heart

Andrew Redington. Getty Images.

It wasn't easy to watch—gale-force winds pushed tee times up a few hours, and balky television contracts prevented it from being shown live on linear TV—but those warriors who found their way to the Genesis Scottish Open broadcast were treated to an unbelievable show. 

We'll pick it up on the 18th tee, where Scotland's own Robert MacIntyre stood with a share of the lead. He'd just bogeyed the par-5 16th, a setback in what had been an incredible round to that point. But still, he was five under for his round on a brutally windy day, tied for the lead in his national open and fresh off a much-needed up-and-down at the par-3 17th. At stake: not just eternal glory for becoming the first Scot since Colin Montgomerie to win the Scottish Open. A victory would make a strong case for a Ryder Cup spot. It'd also earn him a PGA Tour card for the first time in his career. Serious, serious pressure. 

Understandable, then, with the wind pumping in his face, for him to block-slice one well left of the fairway. He then got the type of break you need to win big golf tournaments: his ball found a patch of trampled-down grass amid shin-high rough. According to the broadcast, he flashed a grin when he saw where his ball laid to rest. 

Then he hit the shot of his life.

From 220-odd yards, MacIntyre flushed a fairway wood that cut and rose up into the wind, plopped onto the front of the green and trickled out to four feed. 

The reverse angle might be even sicker. 

After nervously backing off the putt, he poured it in the center to post a six-under 64 and let out some pure, unfiltered emotion. He was in the verge of tears as he walked toward the clubhouse. MacIntyre is among the nicest guys in world golf. He cares deeply about representing his country and the DP World Tour. When asked about the temptation of LIV Golf last year, he said there was no temptation at all. This isn't about the money for him.

“At the end of the day, there’s crazy, crazy money getting thrown at it,” he said. “If you ask me, it’s obscene money to be throwing at sport. There’s only so much money that a human needs.”

It was a movie-like scene: the hometown kid, birdieing the last in front of adoring fans. Only problem? The villain was still on the course. McIlroy needed to play the last three holes in 1 under to force a playoff. That task became more difficult when he failed to birdie the par-5 16th, leaving a tricky par 3 and a into-the-fan par 4 left. 

Naturally, he birdied them both. 

The first came after a sawed-off iron shot to just inside 7 feet. He poured that one in to tie the lead. 

He then found the first cut of rough with his drive on 18 and hit a shot every good as MacIntyre's: a cut-stinger driving iron through the wind, right at the flag. You knew it was gonna be perfect when he gave it the aggressive twirl, then leaned forward, then did the full crouch. 

He had to wait a painstakingly long time to putt, however, as both his playing partners made a mess of the finisher. Both Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Kim made double bogey, the latter needing to call in a rules official after the wind moved his ball on the green. 

The broadcast opted for a really strange angle to show McIlroy's putt—this was not a banner day for CBS—and you assumed it wasn't going in when he came out of his posture quickly. Apparently he'd misread it, because it curled in the center for his 24th PGA Tour victory. He could only laugh after it fell. 

McIlroy, whose last start before this was a solo second at the U.S. Open, now moves to the Open Championship at Hoylake, where he won in 2014. Here…we…go.