Rory McIlroy's birdie-birdie finish denies Bob MacIntyre in Genesis Scottish Open

It’s a day that was up there with the best witnessed on a Scottish golf course and would have been worthy of a prime-time slot in the US if the gusting westerly wind hadn’t prompted an early finish.

Bob MacIntyre celebrates after holing a birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

On the one hand, the latest edition of the Genesis Scottish Open got the perfect winner in Rory McIlroy as one of the game’s most popular players landed his first-ever victory in the sport’s cradle.

But, on the other hand, it was a pity for the home crowd that the world No 3’s brilliant birdie-birdie finish in the closing circuit at The Renaissance Club denied Bob MacIntyre at the death after he’d set the clubhouse target on the back of a sensational closing 64.

MacIntyre’s 3-wood from 212 yards to set up a birdie at the last will be talked about for a long time to come, as will McIlroy hitting a 5-iron to four-and-a-half feet at the 17th then a majestic 2-iron singer to around 11 feet to set up his title-winning birdie at the 18th. “They are two of the best iron shots I can remember hitting, especially under the circumstances,” admitted the new champion.

Rory McIlroy plays his second shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open in East Lothian. Picture: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

MacIntyre started the day five shots off the lead but had talked on Saturday about how he was up for a “scrap” in the windy conditions that had led to the tee times to be moved forward.

Playing four games ahead of the final group, he picked up his first shot of the day by getting up and down from just off the green at the par-5 third before thrilling the fans in the stands around the signature hole - the short sixth - by knocking his tee shot there to five feet.

A little while afterwards, McIlroy also raised a big cheer at the same hole by converting an 11-footer to save par, having just dropped a shot at the previous hole after three-putting from long distance.

Tyrrell Hatton, a two-time Dunhill Links winner, had emerged as McIlroy’s main challenger after going out in 31 to move to 12-under-par before MacIntyre catapulted himself into the frame by starting for home with an eagle. Luck was on his side as his second shot at the tenth kicked down off the high bank on the right of the green and ended up five feet away.

Moving him to 12-under, he was suddenly just one off the lead before soon being in a share of top spot after McIlroy dropped a shot with another three-putt at the eighth.

Hatton then birdied the 12th from seven feet to get his nose in front and both him and MacIntyre were handed a boost as a pulled tee shot from McIlroy at the ninth - a tough short hole without any wind - to run up his second successive bogey.

Also playing in the final group, Tom Kim’s hopes of improving on his third-place finish 12 months earlier had also been dented by a run of three straight bogeys to finish the front nine.

The par-4 13th may be the most picturesque hole on the Tom Doak-designed course, but it wasn’t Hatton’s favourite one of the day as he three-putted it for an untimely bogey before also dropping a shot at the par-5 16th.

The latter came just as MacIntyre rolled in an 11-footer for a birdie-2 at the 14th, celebrating with a big fist pump as he moved into the outright lead for the first time, much to the delight of the home fans.

They were celebrating again when the Scottish No 1 then stiffed his approach at the par-5 15th to open up a two-shot lead, with McIlroy, who’d birdied the previous hole, making a crucial par save after finding sand with his tee shot at the 12th.

MacIntyre had gone 33 holes without dropping a shot, but, after coming up short with his second shot at the 16th and then being unable to convert a seven-footer, an untimely blemish went down on his card.

That, coupled with McIlroy then rolling in a 38-footer for a birdie-2 at the 14th, meant the Scot’s two-shot cushion had disappeared, but, boy, did he roll up his sleeves over the final two holes.

A tester for par was confidently converted at the short 17th before he made the most of another slice of fortune at the last, where his drive was badly sliced but ended up on a spectator walkway flanked by thick rough.

From 212 yards, he went with a 3-wood and knocked it to three feet seven inches, a majestic blow in the heat of battle being greeted by shouts of joy from the fans around the green.

It was only the second birdie of the day at what had been the toughest hole on the PGA Tour las year but the third one around half an hour later from McIlroy denied the Scot with the last shot of the event.

“I'd like to think so,” replied McIlroy to being asked if the win had ticked a box in terms of his ability to play in Scotland and also getting the job done. “I tried to say yesterday that I improved as a wind player, and I feel like I have. Hopefully those two iron shots on the last two holes will prove that.

“Yeah, you've got to hit great shots but you also have to finish them off with putts, and that's something that I didn't do at St Andrews last year, and it's something I didn't do in LA a few weeks ago. So it’s satisfying to hole those putts coming down the stretch when I needed to.”

The final three spots in next week’s Open went to Korean Ben An, Swede David Lingmerth and Dane Nicolai Hojgaard, with Grant Forrest missing out. That means the Saltire will be flown at Royal Liverpool by MacIntyre, Ewen Ferguson, Richie Ramsay, Connor Syme, Marc Warren, Michael Stewart and Graeme Robertson.