Rory McIlroy arrived at Royal Portrush in the early hours of Monday morning, but he was out early to get some practice in before the heavy traffic arrived.
And despite getting edged out at the Scottish Open on Sunday, he was in good spirits during his pre Open press conference, declaring that he was “very capable” of winning this week.
Here’s what else the five-time Major champion had to say…
Not Being Prepared In 2019
A picture that sums up McIlroy’s Open nightmare at Royal Portrush six years ago
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Six years ago, McIlroy stood on the 1st tee at Royal Portrush full of optimism, with a huge home crowd roaring him on.
Twenty minutes later, after making a quadruple bogey, his tournament was over. What does he remember the most about that week?
“The ovation I got on the 1st 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.”
It was a very honest answer, one that he was asked to expand on.
“I was still a little surprised and a little taken aback, like geez, these people really want me to win,” he added.
“I think that brought its own sort of pressure and more internally from myself and not really wanting to let people down.
“I guess it’s just something I didn’t mentally prepare for that day or that week. But I learned pretty quickly that one of my challenges, especially in a week like this, is controlling myself and controlling that battle.
“I talked about it at the Masters on that last day. The battle on that last day wasn’t with Augusta National. It wasn’t with Bryson. It wasn’t with Justin Rose. The battle that day was with myself.”
He Hasn’t Played Holywood For 15 years
McIlroy grew up playing at Holywood Golf Club, a parkland course set high in the Holywood Hills of County Down.
As you’d expect, he’s a hero there, although McIlroy admits that he hasn’t played the golf course for “15 years maybe”.
“I don’t spend a lot of time in these parts anymore just with travel schedule, living abroad, all that stuff,” said McIlroy, who’s recently moved from Florida to the UK.
“To be here, to see a lot of familiar faces… every hole on the course has a different team of marshals from different golf clubs, and just to see people that I’ve met throughout the years out there this…
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