
Rory McIlroy has ‘half a chance' of glory but sees Scottie Scheffler's strength
McIlroy rode the wave of local support, enjoying the experience of having him here for all four days after he missed the cut in 2019, and in a feverish atmosphere there were times when it looked like he might produce something truly special.
It's ridiculous. It's Rory.
Royal Portrush will remember this one. pic.twitter.com/VKSnyvBsse
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025
Three birdies in his opening four holes would have had some considering whether, in their wildest dreams, he could replicate the 61 he shot here as a 16-year-old but a major championship is a different prospect and he just could not sustain the momentum.
'It was incredible, it was so much fun. I got off to the perfect start, three-under through four,' he said.
'To play those last seven holes at three-under I thought was a good effort. I played well, I rode my luck at times, but I feel like I've at least given myself half a chance tomorrow.
'But he's playing like Scottie. I don't think it's a surprise. Everyone's seen the way he's played or plays over the last two or three years.
'He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes. He's turned himself into a really consistent putter as well so there doesn't seem to be any weakness there.
'Whenever you're trying to chase down a guy like that, it's hard to do. But he's incredibly impressive.'
The first four holes were vintage McIlroy, holing putts from 36 and 27 feet – for eagle – before a brilliant approach to seven feet at the fourth picked up another shot.
But his momentum stalled and a bizarre incident on the 11th when his shot from the rough dislodged a previously buried ball resulted in a bogey.
However, the response was thrilling, holing a monster 56-foot eagle putt – his longest of the week – at the 12th which produced the loudest roar of the tournament with another birdie coming after hitting the flagstick at 15.
'The eagle on 12 was one of the coolest moments – it's one of the largest roars I've ever heard on a golf course,' added McIlroy.
'What happened on 11, my ball came out so strange. I thought I was going to get a flier and I looked up at my ball and I could see it spinning up against the wind.
'I obviously had no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball. It's never happened to me before.'
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS BEFORE?! 🤯
A second ball appears as Rory McIlroy plays his shot 😱 pic.twitter.com/iQX29qxc69
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 19, 2025
To take his mind off Scheffler McIlroy will return to the three-hour epic Oppenheimer on Saturday night.
'I started Oppenheimer last night and I'll try to get through another hour of it tonight and maybe finish it tomorrow morning,' he added.
'Apart from that, just keep my mind off of things. I always do better with distraction so if I can just distract myself and get my mind on something else that's always a good plan for me.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Lance Armstrong's colossal net worth and what Tour de France drugs cheat is doing now
Retired cyclist Lance Armstrong was the holder of seven consecutive Tour de France titles before he was unceremoniously stripped of them due to his doping scandal Lance Armstrong was once one of the world's most famous athletes, having won seven consecutive Tour de France titles. But now, after a major doping scandal in 2012, the retired cyclist watches on from the sidelines as the new generation take on the sport's gruelling challenge. The Tour de France is set to conclude on Sunday, with a 132.2km trek through Mantes-la-Ville in Paris to finish the 21-stage event. Armstrong won this prestigious race seven years in a row, from 1999 to 2005. However, an investigation found that the American had been using performance-enhancing drugs over his successful career. As a result, these wins were rendered null and void, and Armstrong was subsequently banned for life from all sanctioned bicycling events. The 53-year-old raced for Motorola, Astana Pro Team and Team RadioShack, and won a gold medal at the 1993 World Championships in the Elite Men's Road Race. Armstrong is well-known for his charity work, following his stage-three testicular cancer diagnosis in 1996 at the age of 25. After recovering from the disease, he set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation – which he is no longer associated with – aiming to support people affected by cancer. The former cyclist joined many other high-profile sporting icons – including Muhammad Ali, Tony Hawk and Mia Hamm – to found Athletes for Hope. This charity helps professional athletes get involved in causes close to their hearts, through volunteer work and supporting the community. So, what is Armstrong up to now? Here, Mirror Sport has delved into the once-iconic cyclist's life, from his colossal net worth to his association with Sir Bradley Wiggins and what he is spending his time on now. Impressive net worth Across his career, Armstrong won multiple major races – including his now-stripped Tour de France titles – that included the Clasica de San Sebastian, Tour de Luxembourg and World Road Race Championships. The ex-cyclist worked with a number of big brands during his racing days, including Nike, Trek, AMD and Oakley, with these endorsements only adding to his expanding fortune made from winning so often. As of right now, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Armstrong is worth an eye-watering £37.2million ($50m), which is a far cry off of his biggest fortunes. The same report states that at the peak of his career, Armstrong was worth an unbelievable £92.4m ($125m), which would have been even more impressive in terms of money at the time. The ex-cyclist still earned plenty of money after his permanent retirement from competing in 2011 – before his doping allegations came to light – as he took part in public appearances, sponsorships with brands and speaking engagements. Sir Bradley Wiggins association – 'An inspiration' Five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins has previously called Armstrong an "inspiration", as he revealed his battle with drug addiction after his retirement. Wiggins became the first Brit to win the Tour de France in 2012, in the same year that Armstrong's doping accusations became apparent. After a career spanning over a decade, with 14 gold medals and various other accolades, Wiggo retired in 2016 and subsequently fell into a cocaine addiction. Speaking to the Observer in May this year, the 45-year-old revealed he was "walking a tightrope" and that he had spiralled so bad that his "kids were going to put me in rehab." Since, Wiggins has credited the disgraced Armstrong as a great source of comfort and support throughout this period of his life, telling BBC Radio 5 Live that he is "indebted" to the ex-cyclist for his help. He said: "He's been a great strength to me and a great inspiration to me, and it's on a human level. Lance has been very, very good to me. That's not something everyone wants to hear because people only like to hear the bad stuff. "You can only take someone how they treat you and Lance has been a source of inspiration to me and a constant source of help towards me and is one of the main factors why I'm in this position I am today mentally and physically, so, I'm indebted to him for that." Life now – Happy families and new ventures Nowadays, Armstrong seems to have a more relaxed life in his retirement. He married yoga instructor Anna in a small ceremony in France in August 2022. The pair got engaged in 2017 after a decade of knowing one another, and they have two children together; Max and Olivia. Armstrong also has three children from a previous relationship with Kristin Richard, whom he was married to for five years before they divorced in 2003. They have two daughters, Grace and Isabelle, and a son called Luke. During the height of his fame, the 53-year-old dated a host of other famous faces, including Sheryl Crow, Kate Hudson and Tory Burch. Most recently, Armstrong is focusing his time on his podcasting career, with two shows out focused on various topics. One is dedicated to iconic races and is called The Move, and his secondary podcast, The Forward, is centred more on interviewing various types of famous personalities. While the veteran athlete can no longer take part in professional cycling, he still enjoys the sport at his leisure. Speaking on The Howard Stern Show in 2017, though, Armstrong admitted he loathed cycling due to the scandal, and he compared it to a relationship breaking down. Armstrong said: "For three or four years, I hated cycling because of what my life has looked like for the last four or five years. Just like with any kind of breakup, there are hard feelings."


Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Andrew Cavenagh pushed the button on Rangers takeover after undercover spying mission on the Copland Road
It was after this spying mission that Cavenagh opened the talks which would lead to his successful takeover in May of this year Andrew Cavenagh decided to push the button on his multi-million pound buy out of Rangers after going deep undercover to mingle with match day punters in the Copland Road stand. The health insurance tycoon made the secret trip to Glasgow on November 23 last year, battling through a snow storm to buy a ticket for a 1-1 draw with Dundee United. And it was after this spying mission that the American businessman opened the talks which would lead to his successful takeover in May of this year, along with his backers from the San Francisco 49ers The story of Cavenagh 's first ever trip to Ibrox has been revealed by Paul Murray in part of an in depth exclusive interview with our groundbreaking Hotline Live show, which is available to view online. And Murray, who helped Cavenagh and his consortium pull the deal together from the inside, has told how he knew the Americans were destined to take control from the moment the main man turned down a VIP seat in the directors' box to sit among the fans instead. Murray revealed: 'I met Andrew for the first time on a Zoom call in October last year, so nine months ago. We had a bit of a chat - nice guy - and he was then coming to London a week later. 'So I flew down to London and had lunch with him in central London. We had a really good chat. 'He didn't actually mention the 49ers at that time but he was actually with a guy from Leeds so I kind of figured out that there was something else maybe going on. 'We had a really good chat and my first impressions were, 'Really nice guy, very easy to talk to,'. 'As we've been discussing, over the last 20 years I've met a lot of people who want to invest in Rangers and who come forward - I think we all know some of the people we've just been mentioning! 'Andrew was different. You just got a sense immediately this guy is, first of all, he's a very successful businessman in his own right. A very serious guy but also a nice guy and also engaged. 'I talked him through the history of the club, the last 15 years and some of the things that had happened. You could tell he was really engaged. He obviously knew a lot of the things we were talking about. 'As it happened, because the guy was there from Leeds, I did take the opportunity of mentioning the Battle of Britain from 30 years ago which they were quite amused by. 'I said, 'That shows you where Rangers were 30 years ago. Before the English Premier League came into existence, we were, if not the biggest club in Britain, certainly one of the biggest clubs in Britain,'. So they were actually quite interested in that. 'I think the two things which really struck me about Andrew that day were, first of all he was really engaged and obviously really interested in what I was saying but also we were playing a game against Hearts at Ibrox a couple of days later on the Sunday. 'He actually said to me, 'I think I'll just fly up to Ibrox and go to the game,'. 'I asked if he wanted me to try to speak with someone and he said, 'No, I'll just get a ticket and I'll just go,'. 'As it turned out, for various reasons he wasn't able to go as he had some family stuff on but he then contacted me about a week later and said he wanted to go to the Dundee United game, which was in the middle of November. 'Again, I asked if he wanted me to help and he said, 'No, I'll just go and get a ticket - a normal ticket for any area of the ground,'. I think he actually went into the Copland Stand. 'But I thought that was quite interesting. A guy with that wealth and he just thought, 'I'm going to buy a ticket,'. 'He flew up to Glasgow, bought a ticket on his own. He went with a couple of other guys and you might remember it was a really bizarre game because it was meant to be a three o'clock kick-off on the Saturday and it was really bad weather. 'It was the middle of November but there were snow drifts and crazy weather to the point that Dundee United couldn't get down the A9. 'He actually contacted me to say, 'When does the game start?'. 'I said, 'I've just looked and apparently it's been delayed until four o'clock!'. 'So it was a really weird day and Andrew was basically walking about the stadium, looking at the stands and nobody knew who this guy was. 'I thought it was actually really interesting that a guy like that would take the time - because normally these guys want to go to the directors box as VIPs - but this guy was prepared to put on his work clothes if you like and just go and look at it. 'The other thing that happened that day was there were quite a lot of fan protests as well as having the snow drifts to contend with. But it obviously didn't put him off.' Now, a decade after helping Dave King take control of Ibrox in a boardroom purge, Murray believes his club has been passed into the best possible hands. He said: 'There are no guarantees. But I'm hugely excited. 'I spent a good bit of time with Andrew in the early days - I don't know Paraag just as well but we did have a couple of meetings - and I think these guys are going to be great for the club. 'I think, in a funny kind of way, the fact that they are not Rangers fans is a good thing because we've had Rangers fans on the board for a long time and it is difficult. 'It's hard to convey when you are a fan but you are also on the board as a custodian, you feel the weight of expectation on your shoulders. 'In fact, my very last game on the board of directors was just before Steven Gerrard came, when we lost 5-0 at Celtic Park and Celtic won the league. 'I remember leaving that day and I was actually finished. I just had to resign because I was emotionally spent. You sit there as a fan and as a director and it's hard to take. 'These guys are clearly going to be invested in the club from an emotional point of view but they are a bit more detached. And that gives them more objectivity which is a good thing. 'I don't know Paraag as well as Andrew but I think they are quite a complimentary duo and it's maybe this east coast west coast thing. Andrew is obviously from Philadelphia and I think Paraag is from California. 'So they have slightly different styles and backgrounds but I think they are quite complementary.'


Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Daily Record
Stephen Robinson says St Mirren season starts 'for real' as he lauds Ayr boss Scott Brown
The Buddies will go head-to-head with Ayr United in a bid to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup. Stephen Robinson believes St Mirren's season starts for real tomorrow as they bid to qualify for the next phase of the Premier Sports Cup. The Buddies know anything less than a win will see Ayr United clinch Group D and leave them sweating on advancing as a best runner-up. The SMiSA Stadium showdown is live on the cup sponsor's channel as Scott Brown's Honest Men arrive intent on sealing the deal. And Saints gaffer Robinson feels this is the ideal situation to build up for the start of another Premiership campaign. He explained: 'The other games [in the competition] are tough in different ways. There are tough surfaces and the stage of the season we're at it is tough. But we're at home. The pitch is in great condition and it's live on TV. 'Scott will bring a team that's started the season really well. They've got a lot of boys with great experience, including guys we know like Curtis Main. 'That will hopefully set us up for the league season. Now it feels real. This is a real competitive game and it's now about us stepping up now and doing what we have done better.' Robbo knows it isn't going to be easy with Ayr playing attractive, attacking football – and he has been impressed with how former Celtic captain Brown has gone about his business since swapping the pitch for the dugout. 'Scott's had an excellent grounding,' the Northern Irishman said. 'He was a brilliant player that I admired from afar very much and when we played against him. 'He'll have learned a lot from the managers he's worked under and now he's putting his own stamp on it. He's done very well and was unlucky not to get promoted last season. 'I'm sure that, with the backing they have, they see themselves as a Premiership side and I'm sure Scott is the man to take them there.' Saints have had a mixed Premier Sports Cup campaign so far. Having drawn with Arbroath at Gayfield in the opener (losing out on the bonus point on penalties), they held on for a narrow win over Forfar Athletic at Station Park. However, the team seemed to click last Saturday when Annan Athletic were trounced 8-2 with Mikael Mandron grabbing a hat-trick. Robbo says that, despite the slow start, his Buddies are still on a fine run dating back to last term. He said: 'It's taken its time. We're only just getting signings in that we've been after all summer. 'Those boys haven't played any football and the squad isn't complete as yet. That has shown in a couple of the early games. But if you look at our overall form, we haven't lost in 13 or 14 games going back to last season. 'You can debate Arbroath but we got a point in that one. We've got a set way of playing and we play some very good football.'