Why I didn’t play in the French and Scottish Open

RORY MCILROY breezed into Royal St George’s yesterday afternoon confident he has got his preparations for tomorrow’s British Open first round spot on.

The US Open champion had taken some flak from some quarters, including his Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, for taking three weeks off following his eight-stroke triumph at Congressional CC last month.

Montgomerie felt McIlroy could have done with a tournament in his schedule before heading into the third major of the year. Instead, as his homecoming celebrations in Holywood continued, McIlroy withdrew from the French Open in the middle of that three-week spell and rather than play the Scottish Open last week — which was curtailed to 54 holes anyway due to heavy rain — he played two practice rounds at Royal St George’s as well as taking in some more links golf at Royal Co Down.