RORY’S RUSH
The Open Championship returns this month to Northern Ireland and Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951, where local favourite Rory McIlroy will be spurred on by record crowds as he attempts to win his second Claret Jug.
For the first time in 68 years, the Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, where record crowds will be urging local hero Rory McIlroy to win his second Claret Jug.
Rory McIlroy was just 16 years old when he shattered the course record at Royal Portrush during the North of Ireland Championship in 2005.
The long-hitting, then curly-haired amateur from Holywood, near Belfast, carded nine birdies and an eagle for an 11-under round of 61 at one of the toughest links courses on the planet. Who the heck was this kid? McIlroy’s early obsession with golf was sparked by his father, Gerry, and fuelled by watching Tiger Woods breakthrough for his first major title at Augusta National. Seven-year-old Rory drew inspiration from the man dressed in red and black – and by the time he was nine, he had scored his first hole-in-one.
McIlroy then began to develop that powerful and athletic swing we all recognise today. Anyone who saw him put club on ball throughout his teenage years knew he was destined for something special. He was your classic prodigy, filled with confidence, and was soon representing Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup.
Gerry had plenty of faith in his 15-year-old son, too, slapping £200 on “Rors” to win the Open before he turned 26. You’ve got to feel for the bookmaker who gave him odds of 500/1.
Now, 14 years after obliterating the course record by three shots, McIlroy returns to Royal Portrush – just over an hour north of his hometown – to compete in the 148th Open Championship, which has sold out for the first time in history.
Yep. 192,000 people will descend on the Dunluce Course when McIlroy steals the spotlight from his childhood hero (when was the last time Tiger Woods played second fiddle at an event?). No pressure, Rory …
WHY HE CAN WIN
McIlroy has, at times, failed to live up to the high expectations placed on him – by the media, himself or otherwise – but there are plenty of reasons to suggest he can lift the Claret Jug on home soil this month.
Past success: The 30-year-old was the Champion Golfer of the Year in 2014, and he was runner-up to Francesco Molinari at Carnoustie last year. Rory also registered top-five results in 2016 and 2017 – finishing T5th and T4th respectively – so you would struggle to find anyone with better recent Open form than him.
In fact, from 10 career starts, McIlroy has made nine cuts, posted five top-10s and was the low amateur in his majors’ debut at Carnoustie in 2007.
“I play this tournament well … I have done for the last few years now, and I’m excited to play an Open Championship at Portrush. That will be unbelievable,” he said after his runner-up finish last year.
Season-long form:
His results throughout 2019 have been exemplary – especially between January and May – winning The Players Championship, finishing runner-up at the
I PLAY THIS TOURNAMENT WELL … I HAVE DONE FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS NOW, AND I’M EXCITED TO PLAY AN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT PORTRUSH. THAT WILL BE UNBELIEVABLE. – RORY MCILROY
WGC-Mexico Championship and posting a further seven top-10s from his 10 starts.
McIlroy, who is one of the greatest ball-strikers of our time, is also ranked first on the PGA Tour for Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green and fifth for Strokes Grained: Approach-The-Green.
“I know I’m playing well … I know I’m shooting the scores and hitting the shots, it’s just a matter of doing it for 72 holes,” he said after winning The Players.
Preparation:
McIlroy, who now resides in Florida, would’ve had this event at the forefront of his mind ever since the R&A announced it would be played in his home country.
“To hear that the Open is going there is a dream come true,” he said in 2014. “I never thought I would be able to play an Open Championship at home … I’m really excited.”
Now, having already committed to the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, McIlroy has withdrawn from the Irish Open at Lahinch Golf Club to ensure he can play to the best of his ability at Royal Portrush.
“If I was to play the Irish Open, the Open Championship would be my third event in a row,” he explained. “For me, that’s not the best way to prepare for what could be the biggest event of my life.”
The venue:
Then, of course, there are the fond memories he has of Royal Portrush, where he holds an unbelievable course record that many believe will never be beaten.
“Whenever I look back at Royal Portrush, links golf and my development, I always think about that round of golf,” McIlroy said. “I had confidence and cockiness and sometimes I think I need to rediscover that a little bit even now.”
Royal Portrush’s Dunluce Course has, admittedly, undergone several changes since the 16-year-old McIlroy signed for his 61. Most notably, the old 17th and 18th holes have been removed and two new ones have built into the middle of the round.
But that shouldn’t bother the self-assured local favourite, who is relishing the prospect of being named Champion Golfer of the Year on home soil.
“I shot 62 at Quail Hollow in 2010 on the old set-up and then they went and redesigned it and I went back in 2015 and shot 61 on the new course,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully the same things happen at Royal Portrush. I hold the record on the old course, but it would be special to come back to the Open and break it on the new one.”
Crowd favouritism: Having the support of the home crowd shouldn’t be underestimated either. There will be at least 192,000 passionate (and knowledgeable) fans on the grounds of the sold-out event – the majority of which will be rooting for their national hero.
McIlroy has, in the past, been targeted by rather hostile crowds – most noticeably during the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine – and he has also been susceptible to collapsing from commanding positions during the final rounds of majors. The pro-McIlroy galleries might just prove to be the 15th club in Rory’s bag.
WHAT STANDS IN HIS WAY
Although McIlroy and Royal Portrush could prove to be like Winx running at Royal Randwick, don’t go dropping your life savings on him just yet. After all, this is an Open Championship where anything could happen.
Recent form:
At the time of writing, Rory had just missed his first cut of the season with rounds
of 75 and 71 at the Memorial Tournament. His ball-striking certainly wasn’t at its lethal best – and his putting, for which he is currently ranked 59th on Tour, remained concerning.
The weather: McIlroy and his game have perhaps become slightly ‘Americanised’ since focussing most of his attention on the PGA Tour. For example, his stock shots are reaching greater apex heights (he is currently ranked 12th on Tour in this regard) to suit the longer, softer courses found on the US circuit.
This doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of performing well in Open Championships, obviously, but dealing with certain aspects of links golf – like knocking down shots to deal with strong winds – may not come as naturally as they once did.
The field: Every year, every major is billed to be the biggest and the best yet. But this may actually ring true for this Open Championship where, thanks to the design and expected conditions at the host venue, players of all types are in the running to claim the Claret Jug.
Where the likes of the US Open and US PGA Championship and their venues have an unfortunate tendency to effectively eliminate half the field before the opening round even begins – because of the lengthy and soft set-ups – The Open is typically played in windy conditions on baked-out surfaces. This allows the entire field an opportunity to get into contention and leads to mixed leaderboards.
For instance, the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Tony Finau, who all average well over 300 yards off the tee, will certainly be at an advantage in Northern Ireland, but so, too, will short-game maestros like Jordan Spieth and our own Cameron Smith ... All of which means McIlroy will have stronger competition to overcome if he’s to claim his second Open title.