FAMILIAR TERRITORY
RORY McILROY won’t be seen cramming at Carnoustie in preparation for The Open exam next week.
Instead, a softly, softly approach is on the cards for the 2014 champion who blamed his Shinnecock Hills slip-up on being ‘there too long’ prior to the US Open.
‘I felt like I almost over-prepared for Shinnecock. I was there too long and started to see all the spots I shouldn’t hit it in and that’s where I was hitting it,’ said McIlroy, who may delay his arrival at Carnoustie until Monday.
Despite the dry spell, McIlroy expects the R&A to have Carnoustie in tournament shape.
‘The Open’s never going to get like that [Shinnecock] because the greens won’t get that fast and they aren’t that slopey, so even if it does get rock hard it’s still very fair and very credible.’
McIlroy was low amateur at Carnoustie as an 18-year-old in 2007, when Pádraig Harrington made his major breakthrough with a play-off defeat of Sergio Garcia.
‘I remember playing with Scott Verplank on the last day, and I birdied the last hole. I watched the play-off from the back of the 18th green,’ recalled McIlroy.
‘It’s all a bit of a blur. It’s 11 years ago and a lot has happened since.’
While The Open is returning to Carnoustie for the first time since then, McIlroy is familiar with the course from the Dunhill Links event, which he plays regularly in October with his father, Gerry.
He believes that ‘insider’ familiarity of the course will stand to him in battle.
‘We play the Dunhill most years and it’s nowhere near what it’s going to be like for an Open Championship but it’s nice to know the course and what to expect.’
McIlroy won’t be ‘putting any pressure on myself’ as he seeks a second Claret Jug in an championship in which he was fifth in 2016 and fourth last year at Birkdale.
‘My record in the Open Championship has been pretty good in the last few years and if I go out and play my game and commit 100 per cent to what I’m doing I’m sure I won’t be far away.’
The R&A, who oversee The Open, yesterday announced an increase in total prize money from $10.25m to $10.5m. The winner will receive a record $1.89m (€1.6m) while the top 20 finishers will get more than $100,000 (€85,000).
Americans Kelly Kraft, Brandt Snedeker, Jason Kokark and Austin Cook secured four places for finishing in the top ten in A Military Tribute at the Greenbriar on the PGA Tour, won by Kevin Na.
They join Ryan Fox, Andy Sullivan and Zander Lombard who took the three slots on offer at the Irish Open on Sunday.
Of the four Irish golfers in action at the Scottish Open in Gullane, Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul Dunne and Graeme McDowell, only the latter is not exempt for Carnoustie.
The 2010 US Open champion is chasing one of the three qualifying places for players not exempt who finish in the top 10.
‘I played pretty well the last time we played there (2015), and just need to get my head into it,’ he said.
‘It’s been a long road to try and qualify for The Open; let’s see can we go the final mile.’
Russell Knox, the new Irish Open champion, will tee up in Gullane ranked 49 in the world, after his thrilling success at Ballyliffin.