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McIlroy aims cut to out errors

Aberdeen - Eliminating mistakes and keeping a bad run of holes off his card will be top of Rory McIlroy's agenda when the world number eight takes part in this week's Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen.

After winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May, the Northern Irishman's performances have dropped, finishing tied 23rd at the US Open in June and then missing the cut at the Irish Open.

But following some minor adjustments to his game, McIlroy is confident he will soon be at the right end of the leaderboard again.

"Just limiting the mistakes would be good," he told Sky Sports television ahead of the British Open warmup event that starts on Thursday.

"The win at Wentworth was probably the only week for some time that I didn't have a bad stretch of holes.

"If I can keep the bad runs of holes off my card, that's all I need to do because the good golf is there. I'm playing good quality stuff."

With the 143rd British Open starting at the Royal Liverpool seaside course on July 17, the 25-year-old is hoping to get used to links golf in Aberdeen.

"I haven't played the Scottish Open for a few years," said McIlroy who previously competed in the tournament in 2009 at Loch Lomond.

"I have heard some great things about the golf course and it's good the Scottish Open has gone back to a true links course.

"Not just because it is good for the Open championship the following week. I think the likes of the Irish Open and Scottish Open should be on links courses because that's what this part of the world is known for."

American Phil Mickelson became the first player to land the Scottish Open-British Open double last year when he followed up his win at Castle Stuart in Inverness with victory at Muirfield.

Having watched the left-hander land both titles, McIlroy said he wanted to emulate the 44-year-old's feat.

"It definitely influenced me," the twice major winner added.

"I played with Phil the first two rounds at Muirfield last year and you could see his links game was very sharp.

"Phil's double has put it into many guys' heads to do the same."

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