Rory McIlroy has produced a stunning finish to deny local hero Robert MacIntyre the biggest win of his career in the PS7m ($A13 m) Scottish Open.
MacIntyre, heavily supported by the gallery throughout, had set a daunting target of 14 under par at the Renaissance Club, north Berwick, on Sunday.
That was in part thanks to a sensational birdie on the 18th, just the second of the day on the closing hole as winds gusting up to 40mph made for testing scoring conditions.
However, overnight leader McIlroy birdied the par-three 17th to get on level terms and then hit a stunning 2-iron approach into the last before holing from 10 feet .
“I’m really proud,” said McIlroy, who will head to next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, scene of his 2014 triumph, on the back of his first win on Scottish soil.
“That was such a tough day, especially the back nine. To play that in four under par to win the tournament I’m really proud of how I stuck in there, hit some amazing shots down the stretch and was able to finish it off.
“It feels incredible. It’s been a sort of long six months I feel since I won in Dubai. I’ve given myself tonnes of chances and hopefully this win sort of breaks the seal for me, especially going in to next week as well.”
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler tied for third with South Korea’s Byeong Hun An (70) and Sweden’s David Lingmerth (68).
Min Woo Lee was Australia’s best finisher, tied for 35th after a par final round left him four-under.
MacIntyre had been fortunate to find the spectator walkway following a wild drive on the 18th, but took full advantage by hitting a stunning approach with a fairway wood to within four feet of the hole.
The left-hander began the final round five shots behind McIlroy, but made good on his promise to relish “absolutely brutal” weather as he followed birdies on the third and sixth with an eagle on the par-five 10th.
A birdie on the 14th moved MacIntyre into the outright lead for the first time and he immediately doubled his advantage after a stunning approach to the next finished inches from the hole.
MacIntyre’s amazing birdie on the 18th completed a stunning 64 and had him in front, but, after missing from eight feet on the par-five 16th, McIlroy conjured up a magical finish to seal a brilliant fightback.