McILROY READY TO EMBRACE NEW APPROACH
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks to the media during a press conference prior to The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 14, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
July 14, 2025
By Paul Gallagher
Rory McIlroy will take a fresh new approach into this week’s 153rd Open at Royal Portrush where he will hope to have an entirely different experience compared to the emotional disappointment of missing the cut when last played here in 2019.
McIlroy comes into the final Major of the season in a rich vein of form after finishing runner up at last week’s Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick. Some might argue it is the ideal preparation heading into one of the biggest weeks of the golfing year.
“Yeah, it means an awful lot. It’s weird. It doesn’t feel like six years has passed since 2019. I think it’s amazing that Portrush has this opportunity so soon after the last Open to host again,” said McIlroy after his practice round and little over 12 hours since holing his final putt in Scotland.
“I’m certainly encouraged by how I’ve played the last two starts, especially last week in Scotland. When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably, I don’t know, circled even more than the Masters for different reasons. It’s lovely to be coming in here already with a Major and everything else that’s happened this year.”
“I’m excited with where my game is,” added the world number two. “I felt like I showed some really good signs last week. I feel like I am in a good spot…and not that last week was a pure preparation week, I definitely feel like it put me ina. Goof spot heading into here.”
When asked about the emotional roller coaster – and ultimate disappointment - of missing the cut in 2019, McIlroy recalls the good stuff rather than dwelling on the negatives.
“I think I remember the ovation I got on the first tee on Thursday and not being prepared for it or not being ready for how I was going to feel. Then the golf on the Thursday felt like a bit of a blur. I try to forget that part of it.
“But I remember the run in Friday, I remember I was making a charge and making a run to try and make the cut, and I hit a six-iron into the 14th, and I remember the roar from the crowd…and walking up to the green and getting a standing ovation. It was really special.
“I wish I had been there for two more days to get a bit more of that and experience it. But hopefully I can change that this week.”
In 2019 it was Shane Lowry’s time to enter the Major winners’ circle and raise aloft the Claret Jug for his memorable Major debut win. Lowry and McIlroy have become even closer friends over the years, both on and off the course.
“Yeah, Shane and I have become – we’ve always been close – but I think we’ve become very close over the last sort of five, six years. I think when we both had kids, or at least once I had a daughter and I see how Shane is with his daughters. When I say like a role model, I just think about how he is off the course, how he is able to separate his family life and his normal life from his golfing life.”
At the packed press conference, especially so early in the week, it was inevitable questions would be asked about McIlroy’s course record 61 at Portrush when he was just a pup at 16 and competing in the North of Ireland Championship.
“I remember a little bit about it, bit not a lot of it,” recalls McIlroy. “I think I was nine-under for the last 10 holes. I has it going with the putter. It was certainly the first time I’d ever felt in the zone or that flow state, or whatever you want to call it.
“I maybe had a little nit of a clue about what I was doing back as a 16-year-old, but I certainly didn’t have as much of an understanding of the game, or my game, as I do now.”
And what did he make of the course after playing it again today? “I think the two things I noticed about the golf course today is I have a real appreciation of how well bunkered it is off the tee. It also surprises me when I come here how much movement there is on the greens, The greens are quite slopey for a links course. So they are the two things I sort of noticed today.”
All told, McIlroy is in a different place coming into this Open compared to 2019. He can enjoy the immortal status of being a Grand Slam winner after donning the famous green jacket at Augusta in April. The mindset this time around is different.
“I think in 2019 I probably tried to isolate, and I think it’s better for everyone if I embrace it. I think it’s better for me because I can – and it’s nice to be able to accept the adulation. It’s definitely an embrace everything that’s going to come my way this week and not try to shy away from it or hide away from it, and I think that will make for a better experience for everyone involved.”