The Open: McIlroy prioritized Royal Portrush return over Grand Slam
London
Rory McIlroy may have begun another year with the ambition of completing a career Grand Slam but a return to his home Open at Royal Portrush was the one week he was really looking forward to.
The 36-year-old did duly end an 11-year wait to add a Masters green jacket to his collection, however, it was the thought of returning to the course where he shot 61 as a 16-year-old but badly let down himself - and the huge support he had - by failing to make the cut here in 2019 which had his attention.
He spoke about learning from that experience, having allowed emotion to get the better of him and promptly hitting his opening tee shot out of bounds, and appears to have emerged from his post-Masters comedown.
'When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably circled even more so than the Masters, for different reasons,' said the Northern Irishman, who grew up an hour's drive away in Holywood.
'It's lovely to be coming in here already with a major and everything else that's happened this year.
'I'm certainly encouraged by how I've played the last two starts, especially last week in Scotland (he finished joint-second at the Scottish Open).'
McIlroy, who tees off alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and American rival Justin Thomas in potentially the worst of the weather with thunderstorms forecast early evening, said of completing the Grand Slam: 'I probably just didn't give myself enough time to let it all sink in.
'I learned pretty quickly that one of my challenges, especially in a week like this, is controlling myself and controlling that battle.
'The battle on that (Masters) last day wasn't with Augusta National, it wasn't with Bryson (DeChambeau), it wasn't with Justin Rose. The battle that day was with myself.
'It's you trying to overcome your mind and trying to give yourself that clarity to give yourself the best chance to put together a really good performance.'
McIlroy is not the only top player at Portrush with a major in the bag this year. His main rival Scottie Scheffler, the only man ahead of him in the world rankings, won the US PGA Championship in May.
The three-time major champion remains the one to beat according to bookmakers despite The Open being his weakest of the four premier events, with last year's joint-seventh at Royal Troon only his second top-10 in four starts.
'I could not care any less about being the favourite or not being the favourite. We all start even par on Thursday. That's pretty much all that matters,' said the American, who is out in the morning alongisde Irishman and 2019 champion Shane Lowry and 2021 winner Collin Morikawa.
'I think it (links golf) fits my strengths because I like to do things very creatively. I guess one of the weaknesses would just be it's a little bit fresh.
'My first time playing links golf was when I was a professional, I never came over and played as an amateur. I feel like I'm learning more and more each time I come over here.'
Spain's Jon Rahm has a better Open record, with second and third-place finishes to add to his seventh alongside Scheffler last year since 2021.
Top-10s in his last two majors is why he is third favourite for the Claret Jug despite the majority of his play being on the LIV Golf tour.
'In a weird way, I always feel close,' said the former Masters and US Open champion.
'Last week, especially on Sunday, it was very nice. It was a very good round of golf. It was by far my best round at Valderrama and to play it bogey-free and, besides the last hole, never really being in danger of a making a mistake I'm feeling confident.'
Xander Schauffele, whose major breakthrough came last year with US PGA and Open wins, does not class Portrush as a title defence as it is a completely different course to Troon.
'I think a blank canvas is a great place to start. You can paint many different pictures to win a tournament. You've just got to do the right one,' he said.
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