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‘God bless this old couple' hail fans after seeing striking photo of Rory McIlroy surrounded at The Open

RORY McIlroy may be the centre of attention at Royal Portrush but one elderly couple stole the show in this pic. Epitomising the old idiom of a picture telling a thousand words, the below photo effectively showcases the extent of McIlroy's fame - as well as society's addiction to mobile phones. 2 An older couple in the middle are just about the only onlookers not straining to take a photo Credit: Getty 2 At the time of writing McIlroy is level for his Friday round after seven holes Credit: Getty It's easy to see why it's gone viral since day one of the year's final major on Thursday. Colby agreed, adding: "You're damn right! Enjoying the moment." Meanwhile Colin praised: "Proper golf fans, love to see it." The Masters famously abides by a Read More On Irish Sport Another fan suggested that The Open should follow suit upon seeing yesterday's striking image. They recommended: "No phones or cameras at majors. Should be a rule." McIlroy was The Northern Irish hero, who hit just TWO fairways, crumbled under similar pressure when the event was last held at Royal Portrush in 2019. Then, he started with a 79 and missed the cut. Yesterday, the Masters champion survived a wobble to end just three shots off the lead after a day when he was wayward off the tee but hot on the greens. Most read in Golf 'That's a great position to be in but at the same time it brings some added pressure because I didn't want to let them down. Tense moment as furious Jon Rahm confronts golf fan at The Open 'I dealt with that pressure pretty well - I certainly dealt with it better than I did six years ago! 'I am happy to give myself a good start and get myself into the tournament. I'm surprised four-under is leading, a thought someone would go out and shoot six or seven under par. 'I knew what to expect, it wasn't new to me playing at an Open at home, and that experience definitely helped. 'I didn't feel I was walking into the unknown, unlike last time when I hadn't experienced this before.' McIlroy sank a crucial 12-foot putt for par on the 15th, having carded three bogeys in the previous four holes - before a birdie on 17 left him under par for the round. He said: 'That par putt on 15 was a big one having bogeyed three of the last four. That was a huge putt, it kept whatever momentum I had and then to go one under for the final three was pleasing. 'The wind picked up a bit on the back nine and that made it more difficult. It was a tough day, spending a lot of time in the rough and fairway bunkers, so to shoot under par is a bonus.' McIlroy's rival