St Andrew’s win is Holy Grail - Rory

RORY McIlroy believes winning an Open Championship at St Andrews is golf’s version of the Holy Grail as he bids to end his eight-year major drought.

McIlroy lifted the Claret Jug in 2014 and won his fourth major title in the US PGA a month later, but has not won one of the game’s biggest titles since.

Augusta National co-founder and three-time Open champion Bobby Jones famously said that a player’s career would not be complete without lifting the Claret Jug on the Old Course.

And while McIlroy is not sure that is strictly true, the world number two is well aware of the significance of winning the oldest major title at the Home of Golf.

“I don’t know if a golfer’s career isn’t complete if you don’t, but I think it’s the Holy Grail of our sport,” McIlroy said.

“Not a lot of people are going to get that opportunity to achieve that, but that’s what winning an Open at St Andrews is. It’s one of the highest achievements that you can have in golf.

“There’s a lot of great players that have won Opens and maybe not won Opens at St Andrews, so I think it’s unfair to say that a golfer’s career isn’t complete without that.

“But it’s certainly up there with one of the greatest things you can do in our game.”

McIlroy, who admits he would love to win both here this week and at the Masters to complete a career grand slam, claimed the Claret Jug in 2014 ago but an ankle injury suffered playing football meant he was unable to defend his Open title at St Andrews the following year.

However, he did finish third at the same venue in 2010 after carding a record-equalling opening 63 followed by a second round of 80 in terrible conditions.

“This is sort of a good lesson in human behaviour, but the only thing I remember about the 63 is hitting a six iron into three feet at 17 and missing the putt,” McIlroy added.

“That’s the one thing that sticks out in my mind because I remember coming off the golf course thinking that was a really good opportunity to be the first person ever to shoot 62 in a major, and I didn’t quite get it done.”