World No. 2 Rory McIlroy started the 2026 Scottish Open in style. He carded rounds of 65 and 66 to share the 36-hole lead at 9-under. But tough, foggy conditions in the third round on Saturday saw him stumble to a 3-over-par 73. Unfortunately for McIlroy, this was only the beginning. A clip shared by Brendan Porath of Fried Egg Golf from the Renaissance Club showed exactly why. 

“Oh my god, I am so bad at golf,” McIlroy screamed in frustration after taking a shot. 

McIlroy’s soundbite came from the par-4 16th, where a costly mistake derailed his round. From the middle of the fairway, the 37-year-old pulled his iron shot left of the green into the fescue, prompting a scream of frustration that many golfers could relate to. The worst part? Before the mistake, he was making a great run up the leaderboard.

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The 37-year-old even got within two shots of the leaders on multiple occasions during the final round. Despite the mistake, he carded a brilliant third birdie on the back nine to finish at 6-under par. At the time of writing, he is tied for sixth place. Any hopes of winning the $9 million tournament have slipped through his fingers, especially with Tom Kim leading the event by four shots.

Later at the press conference, when asked about his soundbite, McIlroy’s revealed why he said that. 

“In that moment, the shot I hit with that 6-iron was a very, very poor golf shot, so in that moment, I was so bad at golf,” he said during the press conference. 

While McIlroy’s moment on the green was frustrating, this isn’t the first time Rory McIlroy has found himself overstimulated on the course. He has had multiple club-throwing and self-deprecating outbursts over the years. And he isn’t the only one to have had such moments. Top names like Sergio Garcia, John Daly, Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, and Wyndham Clark have all experienced similar outbursts during their careers.

For McIlroy, the outburst comes after a decent 2026 season. He defended his Masters Tournament title in April and made history by becoming the first player since Tiger Woods (2001-02) to win back-to-back Masters titles. He has recorded three top-10 finishes this season, including at the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, and The Memorial Tournament.

Now, with the 2026 Scottish Open behind him, the 37-year-old will turn his attention to next week’s Open Championship. As a former champion, the 30-time PGA Tour winner earns an automatic spot in the fourth and final major of the season. However, he may be a little more careful with his approach shots to avoid repeating Sunday’s costly mistake.