Rory McIlroy, 36, Looks Unrecognizable at Scottish Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 Genesis Scottish Open is set for Thursday through Sunday, and Rory McIlroy enters on the heels of six top-10 finishes and three wins this season at Pebble Beach, The Players and the Masters.
Advertisement
However, since his Masters victory in April, he has struggled, tying for 47th at the PGA Championship at 3-over, missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open at 9-over and finishing tied for 19th at the U.S. Open at 7-over.
McIlroy has had a bit of a break, last competing at the Travelers Championship from June 19 to 22, where he finished tied for sixth at 12-under.
Meanwhile, he took to the course on Wednesday at the Scottish Open for a practice round and showed off a new look. McIlroy, long known for his curly hair, was seen at The Renaissance Club with a much shorter cut, nearly a buzz.
A photo of him was taken by the DP World Tour and shared on social media.
Advertisement
“Rory’s fresh cut,” the DP World Tour wrote.
McIlroy, a native of Northern Ireland, has enjoyed returning to the United Kingdom over the past several years. He won the Scottish Open in 2023 with a score of 15 under (64-66-67-68), and in 2024, he finished tied for fourth at 14 under (65-66-67-68).
Prior to that, he missed the cut in 2021 at even par and placed 34th in 2019 at 3-under.
Rory McIlroy plays a shot.© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
For this year’s tournament in North Berwick, Scotland, McIlroy will tee off for his opening round at 7:40 a.m. ET, which is 1:25 p.m. local time. He’ll be grouped with Justin Rose and Shane Lowry.
Related: Scottish Open and The Open Championship Are Two Glorious Weeks Across the Pond
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
