Rory McIlroy returns home this week to Northern Ireland and to Royal Portrush, the site of the 2025 edition of The Open Championship and the place of perhaps one of the biggest embarrassments as a professional.
When he came to the British Open at Royal Portrush in 2019, despite all his experience, McIlroy didn’t know what to expect. He was totally unprepared for the overwhelming fan reaction in the first round. It rattled him. But he has changed a lot in the last six years.
“I just think that that feeling, the walk to the first tee and then that ovation, I was still a little surprised and a little taken aback, like geez, these people really want me to win,” he explained. “That brought its own sort of pressure and more internally from myself, and not really wanting to let people down. I guess it's just something I didn't mentally prepare for that day or that week.”
It was a learning experience, one that most of us never have. He played poorly in the first round, firing an 8-over 79, and was not able to score low enough in Round 2 to make the cut despite bouncing back with a 6-under 65, ultimately missing the weekend by one.
Though he failed to advance to the final 36 holes, McIlroy still remembers some of the cheering for good shots on Friday and hopes he can create that kind of excitement in the gallery this time around. And he plans to be around for the weekend this time.
Despite his disappointing play in 2019, he said he had learned from it and compared it to the struggle he faced to finally win The Masters.
“The battle on that last day wasn't with Augusta National. It wasn't with Bryson. It wasn't with Justin Rose. The battle that day was with myself,” he explained. “Whenever you get put in environments like that, that's basically what it is.”
He thinks he is better prepared to accept the crowd enthusiasm that is sure to come.
“I think in '19, I probably tried to isolate, and I think it's better for everyone if I embrace it,” he admitted, adding that he does have a hard time accepting fan appreciation sometimes.
Since winning The Masters, thus completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy has gone through some challenges. He said that first, it was apparent to everybody that he was struggling for several weeks after the victory. Finally, he realized there’s more that he can do, and the way he phrased it was telling.
“I still feel like I have a lot more to give,” he said.
Not take, but give.
The five-time major champion said part of the issue was that being a professional golfer meant that he was kept busy, likening it to being on a “hamster wheel” that he couldn’t get off for several weeks.
“I probably just didn't give myself enough time to let it all sink in. But that's the nature of professional golf,” he noted.
In other words, you won The Masters. That’s nice. Now tee it up in Charlotte. Or Canada. Or wherever.
Then, after The Travelers, he finally took a break to assess the situation. He thought about some things that he still wants to do this year, like playing golf in India, playing in Australia again, and having a good performance in the Ryder Cup, and that seemed to right his ship. He also realized that isolating kept him away from people he knows.
“I think it's more of an embrace everything that's going to come my way this week and not try to shy away from it or hide away from it,” he explained. “It's also nice for the person that is seeing you for the first time in a few years. It just makes for a better interaction and not trying to hide away from it.”
So, McIlroy gets a do-over this week. And what’s even better is that Rory is going to be Rory, and not only is that great for him, that’s great for golf.