McIlroy Resurges in Portrush: 70 in Opening Round and Hunting the Title

McIlroy Starts Strong at Royal Portrush

After a six-year wait, Rory McIlroy returned to Royal Portrush with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The Northern Irish crowd welcomed him with a deafening ovation, marking the start of a day full of expectations.

I feel the support of an entire country, which is wonderful, but at the same time, you don’t want to disappoint them. I feel a little more pressure. Today I handled it very well.
Rory McIlroy

The first shot at Portrush is a challenge, with out-of-bounds on both sides of the fairway. In 2019, McIlroy admitted that the emotion affected his game, resulting in a bad start. This time, a more mature and prepared McIlroy approached the first hole calmly, reading the wind and choosing the right club.

This time I didn’t feel like I was walking into the unknown. I hadn’t played an Open at home before. I didn’t know how I would feel. This time I had a better idea of what was coming.
Rory McIlroy

Although he missed the fairway, McIlroy limited the damage to a bogey. Despite hitting only two of 14 fairways, his short game was exceptional. On the 10th hole, he was already 3 under par and near the top of the leaderboard.

Erratic play off the tee took its toll on the next four holes, but he recovered with birdies on holes 16 and 17, and a par on the last, ensuring an under-par result for Friday.

It was a pretty tough day, especially coming out of the rough or the fairway bunkers most of the time. So playing under par was a good effort.
Rory McIlroy

The local fans supported McIlroy throughout the day, chanting his name. McIlroy, who planned to enjoy the adoration more this time, called the reception “absolutely incredible.” At the end of the round, he was surprised to see that the leaders were 4 under par, which put him in a favorable position for the next day.