McIlroy said Monday that he was overwhelmed by the reception he received six years ago in his home of Northern Ireland. Now a Grand Slam winner, he's ready for this week's championship.
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – He thought he was prepared.
Rory McIlroy had played before as a pro back home in Northern Ireland, and so he thought he knew what to expect. The reception was warm and pleasant and grateful. But he quickly came to understand that those were regular tour events, not majors. And so when he walked to the first tee back in 2019, for the first Open at Royal Portrush in 68 years, long before Rory became Rory, he was smacked in the face by the magnitude of the moment.
“I was a little taken aback,” he said, “like, Geez, these people really want me to win.”
Moments later, infamously, McIlroy sniped his opening tee shot out of bounds on his way to a quadruple bogey, a first-round 79 and an early exit that left him in tears and with a new appreciation for what “playing at home” really means.
“I learned pretty quickly,” he said, “that one of the challenges, especially in a week like this, is controlling myself and controlling that battle.”
It was like that Augusta National, too. Every year he arrived at the Masters knowing he could win, that he should win, and it was a never-ending process of how to get himself to the first tee in the best frame of mind. Rarely did it pan out; only once, in 2018, did he actually have a realistic shot to win once it became for him the last leg of the Slam. He tried everything. Walled himself off. Letting everyone in. Nothing really worked.
Until this year, when even after a series of costly mistakes, he still found a way. Sometimes in spite of himself.
“Whenever you get put in environments like that,” he said, “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.”
And it figures to be like that again this week at Royal Portrush, in what will be the 36-year-old’s final chance to win a home Open in his prime.
Monday’s early-morning practice round – he teed off before 7 a.m., 90 minutes ahead of any other player in this 156-man field – was the first time he’d been back at Portrush since that second round in 2019. Operating on just four hours’ rest, he wanted to get in a full day’s work before the pace of play slowed, before the crowd swelled, before the demands for his time and attention grew. By 11 a.m., he’d completed his 18-hole practice round and satisfied the autograph-seeking mob off 18.
There are a few things that McIlroy took from that homecoming six years ago. He learned to gird himself, emotionally, for the 200,000-plus who will be streaming in the gates here this week and largely cheering for him. He learned that he can’t treat this like any other tournament, and that’s perfectly fine. He learned that the healthiest thing he can do is to embrace the atmosphere, not isolate himself from it.
“He did put a lot of pressure on himself, talking about it being the biggest tournament he’s ever going to play,” said 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry, one of McIlroy’s closest friends. “You live and you learn, and I’m sure he’s not going to do that this week.”
In the weeks immediately following the Masters, McIlroy found himself adrift. Without a clear focus. Uncertain of his next goal or priority. His play showed it. And his mood underscored it.
It’s clear McIlroy is no longer mired in that lull. His game is sharper, and he has that familiar bounce. He’s enthusiastic and hopeful. He’s confident he has plenty more to achieve. He told one local reporter, who asked how it felt to be considered the greatest sportsman ever from Northern Ireland, that his “story certainly isn’t over.”
Part of that shift in mood, obviously, is being back home, back to something different and yet also familiar. He’s away from the “hamster wheel” of PGA Tour life. It’s allowed him to feel rejuvenated and reinvigorated.
But he’s also more emotionally aware because he’s physically sound. He knows the parts of his game are there. He drove it better than anyone at Oakmont. He has putted well his last two starts. He knocked off some competitive rust last week at the Scottish Open, where he led the field in proximity to the hole and tied for second. McIlroy boarded his flight Sunday night “really happy with where my game is.”
And so now it’s time to dive back in, fully. As he adjusts to his new normal as a living legend in the sport, McIlroy admitted that he needs big targets and big goals. Amid the grind of a relentless season, that’s what can heighten his focus and light his fuse. Maybe it's an away Ryder Cup. Or it could be future majors at St. Andrews and Pebble Beach.
But few experiences, if any, will have the personal significance of this: An Open an hour from home, and at this point in his life and career. This time, he vows to be ready.
Category: General Sports
