Rory McIlroy coach adds fuel to Royal Portrush Open Championship rumours ahead of 2025 return

The Irish Sun

2 days ago

WITH the 2025 Open Championship heading back to Royal Portrush this July fans on both sides of the Atlantic are bracing for another links major.
Irish eyes will be firmly on Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry after the Offaly star's maiden major win at the same venue in 2019.
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The Open returns to the Northern Irish venue for the first time since 2019
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Brad Faxon revealed there maybe some possibly changes to Royal Portrush GC's opening hole
McIlroy famously shot a course-record 61 as a teenager, while Lowry rewrote the record books with a Saturday 63 on his way to lifting the Claret Jug.
But there looks to be a major change to the Dundonald Links Golf Course ahead of this summer's tournament.
Rory's putting coach Brad Faxon has revealed that a key change has reportedly been made to the opening hole at Portrush.
The famous hole saw Down native McIlroy pull a long iron out of bounds to derail his 2019 Claret Jug bid, before his missed the midway cut at the venue.
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"Now that was an in-course out-of-bounds they had set up for gallery control and some sponsor suites.'
'I don't think that is going to be out of bounds this year. I think there is a new tee, too.
"I think it's back further. So that hole is not going to just be a lay-up necessarily, depending on the wind conditions.'
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The R&A has yet to confirm the change, but the adjustment could play a crucial role in how players approach the front nine.
Faxon added that Lowry, who won by six shots in 2019, is quietly confident heading back to Portrush this summer.
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He added: 'Shane Lowry said the last time I saw him at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, he said, 'Rory has taken the pressure off me going back there.''
Meanwhile,
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This year will mark the 10th time the course has hosted the USGA premier tournament.
And Lowry knows the course all too well, the 2019 Open champion finished T2 after a heartbreaking +6 final round in 2016 after blowing a four-stroke overnight lead.
But leading up to that week, Lowry reflected on how difficult the course was before admitting that he actually walked off the course due to its difficulty.
The Offaly native was asked about the upcoming championship after his opening round at the