Rory McIlroy told to change character as Open champion's dad makes £296m claim
The 153rd Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush this weekend, with Rory McIlroy in serious contention to win on home soil. However, Xander Schauffele will be a tough man to beat as he defends his title in Northern Ireland.
McIlroy is in top form for his homecoming, having just finished second in the Genesis Scottish Open. Twelve years after first winning the Claret Jug, the 36-year-old is back in fray and has received some sage advice from two former champions.
One previous Open winner is eager to see McIlroy triumph but is acutely aware of the pressure on his shoulders this weekend. Another wants to see the world No. 2 opt for the light-hearted approach following a tricky few months.
In other news, Schauffele's father has disclosed the hefty price it would take for his son to abandon the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. And the figure might not be what the organisers of the Saudi-funded series were hoping for.
£296m LIV claim made by star's dad
Despite many stars leaving the PGA for lucrative deals with LIV, Schauffele has remained loyal to the tour that made him famous. However, this loyalty was tested when the Californian was offered between £112million and £148m to join the deserters.
These figures were mentioned by Stefan, Schauffele's dad, as well as his long-time swing coach and agent, in a recent interview with The Times. But according to Schauffele Sr, even doubling that offer wouldn't have been enough to persuade his son to leave.
"They could've doubled the money and we still wouldn't do it," said Stefan. For the Schauffele family, securing the ranking points needed to qualify for major championships remains the top priority.
Given this stance, there's may be no realistic sum LIV could present that would tempt Schauffele, who pocketed £2.3m for his Open triumph last year, to abandon the PGA Tour. The defending Open champion will once again put his reputation on the line as he attempts to become the tournament's first consecutive winner since Padraig Harrington in 2008.
Open winner offers McIlroy guidance
Speaking of Harrington, the Irishman feels for McIlroy as he arrives at Royal Portrush carrying enormous expectations. Having ended his major drought this year and completed the career Grand Slam by capturing the Masters, he's now in excellent form and competing in familiar territory.
Everything appears perfectly positioned for the Northern Irish sensation to mount a serious challenge on a course he knows intimately. However, Harrington warned of the potential pitfalls that can emerge when things seem almost too favourable.
"Yeah, poor Rory, everyone seems to build up the pressure on him being the favourite," he told BBC Sport. "But if you want to be at that level the pressure's always going to be on you. Clearly, he knows Portrush very well, he'll have the support and there's no doubt we'd love to see an Irish winner."
McIlroy's recent runner-up finish at the Scottish Open has quelled the drama surrounding his driver. And Padraig Harrington believes McIlroy is set for more major wins, regardless of this weekend's outcome.
"Him going with the Masters' jacket, I think it's enough for him to just swan around and wave to the crowds," the three-time major winner opined. "He doesn't have to win. The people always want him to win the next major or whatever, but it doesn't have to be this one. I know it would be nice to be Portrush, but he'll win plenty more majors."
McIlroy told to lighten up
After his victory at Augusta, which ended an 11-year drought for a major title, McIlroy seemed on top of the world. However, trouble soon followed when his Masters-winning driver was deemed to be non-conforming with regulations at the PGA Championship.
Forced to abandon his most reliable club, McIlroy faced a series of disappointing performances. And in order to deal with any outside pressure coming his way, six-time major champion Lee Trevino suggested McIlroy should handle such situations with a sense of humour.
"He's going to the tee, these guys are full of Bud and they're saying, 'Rory, is this driver legal?' You don't need that s***," he told The Times. "He could have used some humour. I'd have said, 'I'm trying to be No1, and if I can get another five or six illegal clubs in this bag, I'm going to try.'"
Perhaps that's not McIlroy's approach, as he'd rather allow his performance on the fairways speak for itself. And having rediscovered his form with the driver, The Open could be precisely the right moment to prove his point.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
Rory McIlroy's roller-coaster Open continues into second round at Royal Portrush
Rory McIlroy mixed the majestic with the mediocre as his roller-coaster Open at Royal Portrush continued on the second day. The Northern Irishman, from an hour down the road in Holywood, began the day three off the lead on one under but had to work hard just to maintain that score through his front nine. But by the time he turned in a level-par 36 – after two birdies and two bogeys – the gap to the top had stretched to five as 2023 champion Brian Harman had taken advantage of good scoring conditions to reach six under. McIlroy, last in the field for driving accuracy on Thursday after hitting just two fairways, struggled to recalibrate his radar but that did not prevent him making birdie at the first from 18 feet from the semi-rough. However, he was a foot from driving out of bounds at the par-five next and had to take an unplayable lie and eventually chipped to seven feet to save par. The 176-yard third caused him problems as his tee shot caught the bank of a bunker, forcing him to stand in the sand and choke down halfway on the shaft of his wedge with his ball well above him and that resulted in a bogey. A 348-yard drive and approach to six feet brought a birdie at the next but the driveable par-four fifth caused him problems after pulling his three-wood into a bunker, which produced the response 'Don't go in there. Idiot.' Another bogey followed and despite hammering a 372-yard drive down the par-five seventh he came up short with his approach, chipped to nine feet but missed the birdie attempt. He missed fairways at eight and nine, meaning he found only one over his outward half, and it cost him scoring opportunities. That was not the case for Harman, beginning the day two under, who had three birdies in 10 holes, to hold a one-shot lead over Rasmus Hojgaard and England's Tyrrell Hatton, who could consider himself unfortunate to only be two under through 10 holes of his round. His Ryder Cup team-mates Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose were in the pack on three under; the Scot bogey-free in carding three birdies on his front nine and Englishman Rose, runner up at the Masters and last year's Open, dropping his first shot of the tournament at the par-three sixth in an outward one-under 35.
Reuters
a minute ago
- Reuters
Harman makes move at Open, mixed bag again for McIlroy
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland, July 18 (Reuters) - Former champion Brian Harman climbed to the top of the second-round leaderboard at the British Open as home favourite Rory McIlroy's rollercoaster ride continued at Royal Portrush on Friday. American Harman lifted the Claret Jug at a soggy Royal Liverpool two years ago but arrived on the Northern Ireland coast under the radar. However, he gained four shots in his opening 10 holes to reach six-under along with Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard. England's Tyrrell Hatton was a shot back on five-under halfway through his round, as was American Harris English. After Thursday's heavy rain showers and stiff breezes, bright conditions and light winds greeted the early groups on Friday and with receptive greens several players profited. With his trademark accuracy and hot putter again in evidence, the 38-year-old Harman birdied the par-four opening hole after a superb approach shot left him a tap-in. Harman capitalised on the two par-five holes on the outward nine, with birdies on both, and reached six-under after another laser-like approach left him a tap-in on the 10th. Hojgaard, who like Harman began two shots off the overnight leaders, picked up five birdies in his opening 13 holes with his only blemish a bogey at the seventh. His twin brother Nicolai was also on the front page of the leaderboard at three under early in his second round. McIlroy, again attracting huge galleries, scrambled to a one-under 70 on Thursday and it was a similar story early in his second round as he mixed mistakes and brilliance. The 36-year-old, bidding to win his second Open 11 years after his first, had the crowds roaring with a birdie on the first and then did brilliantly to salvage a par five at the second after slicing his drive into deep rough and taking a penalty drop. He dropped a shot at the par-three third after a poor tee shot left him with a horrible stance. A birdie followed at the fourth to leave McIlroy still at one-under after eight holes. Other upward movers on Friday were Scotland's Robert MacIntyre who reached three under after going out in 33. Joint overnight leader Jacob Skov Olesen began his second round in horrible fashion with a quadruple bogey eight on the first after driving out of bounds twice off the tee. In one hole he dropped from the top of the leaderboard to 36th.
Daily Mirror
a minute ago
- Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy speaks out about fans at Royal Portrush as Tommy Fleetwood issues complaint
The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club has not disappointed, with the fourth and final major of the season already providing plenty of drama and talking points As the rain fell and the wind blew at Royal Portrush on Thursday, the world's best golfers tried their best to grapple with the unpredictable conditions. The Open Championship leaderboard at the end of round one proved what a challenge that was as 44 players finished within four shots of the lead. Only five men had the privilege of being four under par. Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li, Matt Fitzpatrick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Harris English all went around in 67 shots. Rory McIlroy, one of several participants to have already lifted the Claret Jug, was ready to face his demons from six years ago but had a mixed first day. The Northern Irishman was, however, able to play the final four holes in one-under par to edge himself three shots off the summit by the close of the action, sending his fanbase home happy enough. With Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele all well placed heading into Friday's action, we bring you a round-up of all of the latest major talking points. Mickelson's true colours Phil Mickelson showed his class by handing out a signed glove and ball to his playing partner Ryan Peake after the pair competed alongside each other in the opening round on Thursday. Peake, a former Australian biker gang member, played his way into The Open after winning the New Zealand Open earlier this year, which gave him the chance to play with one of golf's greatest in LIV Golf star Mickelson. He had spent five years in prison for serious assault before being released in 2019 and rebuilding his golfing career. And while he admitted he was "beaten up" by the brutal Royal Portrush conditions, that didn't stop the 31-year-old from having a fanboy moment with the six-time major winner. Peake said after spending the opening day of the event alongside Mickelson: "It was pretty good. I just asked for his golf ball and got him to sign a golf glove for me after. "I grabbed his putter off him a few times and had a little feel of it. That's the OG; that's the one from the Masters. There were a couple of cool things. "His caddie gave away golf balls as we were walking off the tee, and I yelled out, 'What about me?', and he had a laugh. He thought I was being sarcastic. "He said, 'Are you serious?', and I said, 'I'm deadly serious'. I said, 'Can you sign a glove as well?' He's your hero growing up. My old boy is out here this week, and he loves him as well." McIlroy on the crowd's support McIlroy felt the love of an entire nation as he began his quest for a sixth major. Having been greeted affectionately by the fans gathered in the grandstand initially, he received roars of encouragement upon his return to Royal Portrush by his home fans. When asked about the support he received around the course, McIlroy said: "Yeah, absolutely incredible. Look, I feel the support of an entire country out there, which is a wonderful position to be in, but at the same time, you don't want to let them down. So there's that little bit of added pressure. "I felt like I dealt with it really well today. Certainly dealt with it better than I did six years ago. I was just happy to get off to a good start and get myself into the tournament. "I was sort of surprised - there's a few guys at 4-under, but I'm surprised 4-under is leading. I thought someone might have gone out there and shot 6 or 7 today. Only three back with 54 holes to go, I'm really happy with where I am." Rahm speaks after outburst Jon Rahm was left furious with a person in The Open crowd after hearing a whistle during his backswing midway through the opening round. Having played some impressive golf on day one, the Spaniard lost his cool and confronted the fan as soon as the ball left the club face of his driver, while he was standing on the tee box. The distraction in question was a crowd member whistling. "Really? Whistling? Right, great time [to do it]," the two-time major champion vented, before going on to add: "Right on my backswing. Very smart, whoever it was." Following his round, Rahm was asked about the incident, to which he replied: "I mean, if I were to paint a picture, you have the hardest tee shot on the course, raining, into the wind off the left, it's enough. "I know they're not doing it on purpose. It just seemed like somebody trying to get a hold of someone for whatever it is. It was bad timing. I think I just used the moment to let out any tension I had in me. Really, that's not - it is what it is. "To be honest, it probably didn't affect as much as I made it sound like. It was a bad swing gas well. Just a difficult hole. I mean, it's frustrating, but it is what it is. It's an everyday thing in golf." Despite testing conditions, Rahm was still pleased with his opening round showing, which left him in a strong spot heading into day two on Friday. Fleetwood's complaint Tommy Fleetwood complained about being the victim of a poorly raked bunker on day one, which led to a bogey on the 5th. The Englishman's tee shot landed in the sand down the right of the short par 4 5th, where he was unfortunate to find his ball in a difficult spot where the bunker had been raked. He duffed his ball barely out of the trap and went on to make a costly bogey in his opening round of 73 (+2). Bunker raking has become a hot topic this week as the R&A announced it was not using bunker rakers for the 153rd Open, as was the case in previous years, with players and caddies having to do the job themselves. Fleetwood admitted: "Yeah, it wasn't a great rake job. I probably could have managed it better. The first thing is I was not very happy to be in there so that's my fault. "It was like in somebody's hitting mark that hadn't really been raked great. I tried to hit what I thought was the right shot, like kind of duff something because I knew I couldn't get any sort of strike perched on the ball so I tried to duff it, but then you've got to get the height as well. So that was a bit harsh."
