Rory McIlroy went to bed on Sunday at one in the morning after finishing second in the Scottish Open behind Chris Gotterup. The last thing he did before sleeping was set his alarm for five in the morning. He wanted to be at Royal Portrush before dawn. He’s eager for the Open. He’s eager for Northern Ireland. It’s the big goal of the year. Even above completing the Grand Slam at Augusta? Above… He played 18 holes without much of a crowd and went to rest. First test passed.
“It’s the week marked in red since January above the Masters and yes, I admit it’s amazing to be here with the Green Jacket. That said, to say I don’t feel pressure… Not at all. There’s always pressure. I want to win. I’m in good shape. I’ve had the right preparation. Let’s go for it,” he stated this Monday in the first meeting of the week between a player and the accredited journalists in this fascinating setting located a few kilometres from the impressive Giant’s Causeway.
Rory already played the Open at Portrush in 2019 and didn’t make the cut. That was a blow, but he has a pretty clear idea of what happened. He’s convinced of where the mistake was and is not willing to repeat it. “I simply wasn’t prepared for the emotion I felt there, it overwhelmed me, it overcame me. The walk to the 1st tee was shocking. I didn’t expect it. I knew we were in Northern Ireland and that the fans appreciated me, but I promise I didn’t expect so much affection. People were crazy for me to win the Open and suddenly, I froze. All of that came over me,” he assures. McIlroy was hit by an emotional truck.
Suddenly, Rory felt obliged not to disappoint all those people. It was too much of a burden. He couldn’t handle it. “I made a mistake in how I approached all of that. I decided to isolate myself from the atmosphere, I made an effort to think that it wasn’t about me, I put myself in a bubble and today I’m sure that was a mistake. This year I’m not going to do that, quite the opposite. I plan to engage with the atmosphere, embrace it, feel it, and enjoy it. One of the goals I wrote down in January was to enjoy more, both on and off the golf course. To do this, I look a lot at Shane Lowry. He’s my guide in this. This week is what I have to achieve. Enjoy all that support, the atmosphere,” he notes. Without a doubt, that’s what Lowry himself achieved when he won in 2019.
McIlroy played 18 holes early in the morning with a brief interruption due to a thunderstorm. He needed to practice on the course because he claims he hasn’t played it since 2019. You can imagine the tsunami that missing that cut caused in his head. Rory has decided not to beat himself up over what happened that fateful Thursday when he shot 79 and the cut became impossible. “I don’t remember anything from that day. I prefer to remember the 65 from the next day, like that shot on the 14th, at sunset, with a 6-iron and the crowd’s ovation when I was fighting to play all four days. I don’t know why, but that’s the main memory I have of that day,” said the more lyrical version of the Northern Irishman.
The other thing he remembers perfectly about Portrush is when he shot 61 at 16 years old and broke the course record. Notice how selective golfers’ memories can be, as the layout has changed quite a bit since then, and Rory still remembers that 2005 Portrush better than the current one. “I still have arguments with Harry (his caddie). I tell him: that’s not the hole, now it’s the 10th, and he tells me, that’s the 10th hole and not the 12th as you think…”
McIlroy knows he’s facing his big week. He’s the man to watch. The main headline name. All eyes are on him. He knows it and it doesn’t worry him. He accepts it and deals with it. He has something in his favour. He’s coming off playing very well in the Scottish Open and is eager to overcome this challenge. He’s activated a mode similar to the Masters at Augusta. It’s my challenge and I face it instead of resenting it. More or less, that’s what happened in the weeks after winning the Career Grand Slam. He fell into a kind of depression upon realising that top-level professional sport dwells much less on successes than on the next challenges. “Wow, it’s only been ten weeks since I won the Grand Slam and it feels like a lifetime, like almost no one remembers. But that’s how it is. It’s our way of living and I accept it, although it was hard after the Masters. Now, yes, it’s the Open and we’re going for it.”
Regarding preparation, he hinted at a very interesting key about this Royal Portrush. A difference compared to other links. “The other courses in the Open rotation offer you two options from the tee: you can hit the driver, go for distance and risk landing in a bunker, or hit an iron, play it short and leave yourself a longer shot avoiding the bunkers. Not here. I love how the sand traps are set up. If you hit a 2-iron, one is waiting for you, and if you hit the driver, another is waiting. So whatever you choose, the important thing is to commit to the shot,” he emphasises.
