Genesis Scottish Open second round

-9 R McIlroy (NI), T Kim (Kor), J Smith (Eng); -8 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), MW Lee (Aus); -7 R MacIntyre (Sco), C Gotterup (US), V Perez (Fra), J Luiten (Ned), N Von Dellingshausen (Ger), S Yellamaraju (Can), K Nakajima (Jpn)

Selected others: -4 J Thomas (US); -3 T Fleetwood (Eng); -2 J Rahm (Spa); E S Scheffler (US)

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Seventy-eight events. Four years. 1,428 days. Scottie Scheffler’s long and impressive run of cuts made is now over.

Nobody can say they saw this coming. The world number one hadn’t even finished outside the top 25 in any tournament since 2024.

The four-time major winner arrived at The Renaissance Club this week targeting a first win on Scottish soil to further burnish a gleaming CV and send him into his Open Championship defence on a high.

Instead, he is packing his bags early. A two-over 72 in the second round sealed his Genesis Scottish Open fate, while Rory McIlroy posted 66 to retain a share of the lead.

The Northern Irishman is tied at the top on nine under with England’s Jordan Smith – who tore round in 63 – and South Korean Tom Kim.

Scheffler exits on level par, two strokes shy of the cut line. Knowing he needed a chip-in birdie on the last, he ended up with bogey to extinguish any lingering hope.

He fails to make the weekend of a PGA Tour event for the first time since the 2022 FedEx St Jude Championship. The longest active steak of consecutive cuts made in the circuit is now Matt Fitzpatrick – on 28.

Scheffler was somewhat bemused as he tried to make sense of it all.

“It felt like nothing was going right,” the 30-year-old American said.

“I didn’t really feel like I played that bad. This golf course can be just tough at times. There’s some humps and mounds out there.

“I don’t think I finished outside of the top 20 or something like that many times this year. So I’m definitely proud of the consistency and wish I had a couple of days over the weekend to make up some ground.”

Having battled to a 68 on Thursday, Scheffler was primed to challenge. But he made a faltering start to his second round with two bogeys – on 11 and 12 – in his opening three holes.

The two birdies he mustered on a frustrating day were cancelled out by a further pair of bogeys as his fortunes darkened in sunny East Lothian.

As Scheffler searched for positives, he can at least head to Royal Birkdale earlier than planned for his Claret Jug defence next week. But after another Scottish Open struggle, he was non-committal on whether he will be back here next year.

“This is a golf course I feel like I can play well on,” he said. “I just haven’t for some reason. I think this is my second missed cut here.

“It’s funny. Last year, I got really frustrated on this golf course playing some good golf and just not really able to get anything going as well. Then I went and played well at The Open Championship.

“So it’s suiting me well over the years. I haven’t played well here but I’ve played pretty well at The Open. I’ll reflect on that kind of at the end of the year and assess what my plans are going into next season.”

Having been in a five-way share of the first-round lead, McIlroy found himself four adrift of early starter Smith by the time he teed off in the afternoon.

The world number two swiftly wiped out that deficit with four birdies in his opening eight holes. His solitary dropped shot came at the 13th after an errant drive, but he immediately made amends.

“Once we turned for home the wind got its strongest for the day and it was hard to hit it close, quite a lot of crosswinds,” said McIlroy.

“I felt like I did well to hang on. Maybe could have been one or two better but overall it was a good day.”

Patrick Cantlay plummeted from overnight co-leader to a missed cut. Ludvig Aberg and Brooks Koepka also failed to make the weekend, while Jon Rahm squeezed through after a 65 lifted him to two under.

In contrast to Scheffler’s troubles, playing partner Fitzpatrick thrived to move within one of the lead. He is alongside 2021 Scottish Open champion Min Woo Lee on eight under.

Fitzpatrick, chasing a fourth win of the season, laid the groundwork with five birdies in a row from the 11th – his second hole – to charge up the leaderboard with a 65.

“Just felt like I did everything pretty solid. I feel fortunate enough to say that a lot this year,” said Fitzpatrick.

“This stretch of sort of March, February onwards to now, it’s definitely the best golf I’ve played in my career.”

Three back-nine birdies in succession helped home hero Bob MacIntyre to a 66 that leaves him two adrift.

Smith, the world number 82, benefited from a recent break as he outshone big names with the lowest round of the day.

“I had three weeks off, put the clubs away for a week and then came back re-energised and looking forward to this next stretch,” he said.

“Things are feeling good. I’m in a good mental space and just need to keep it going.”