Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy opens up on the first tee shot at Open in 2019 at Royal Portrush and how the adulation of the crowd unnerved him before he got going
Rory McIlroy stood on the first tee in 2019 at Royal Portrush as the course record holder with his home nation watching and waiting.
It should have been a moment to dream of and remember forever but it turned into a nightmare. McIlroy shot a 61 on this track as a 16-year-old prodigy but here he was back as a four-time Major champion at 30 looking to win the Claret Jug in his homeland.
Yet when his tee shot which started as a slight draw turned into a nasty hook thanks to the high winds and sailed out of bounds, he would never recover. McIlroy shot an eight on that opening hole and the quadruple bogey helped him to a 79 before a 65 on the Friday failed to undo the damage to make the cut.
“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 or what I was going to feel. Then the golf on Thursday feels like a bit of a blur. I try to forget that part of it.”
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McIlroy admitted he got it wrong in 2019 as he tried to shy away from the adulation on home turf and keep himself to himself as much as possible. This time it will be different as the 2025 Masters champion looks to harness the love from the Irish fans to help him in pursuit of a second Claret Jug.
“I think in ’19 I probably tried to isolate, and I think it’s better for everyone if I embrace it,” he said. “I think it’s better for me because I can – it’s nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times.
“But it’s also nice for the person that is seeing you for the first time in a few years. It just makes for a better interaction and not trying to hide away from it. It’s more of 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’ll make for a better experience for everyone involved.”