R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers insists there has been no intelligence surrounding any potential protest at The Open this week, but remains confident in the “significant” security procedures at Royal Liverpool.

Slumbers said “one of the most senior players” had been targeted at St Andrews last year,  but nothing public materialised after security was increased at specific locations.

Players have been advised not to get involved if any protests occur after the environmental group Just Stop Oil targeted Wimbledon and the Ashes Test at Lord’s, where England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow carried one protester off the pitch.

“We’ve had no direct intelligence,” Slumbers said on the likelihood of protests at the year’s final major championship.

“There was direct intelligence last year and most people in this room don’t know The Open was targeted last year.

“We had a very credible threat that was reported to us that one of the most senior players in the field was going to be targeted by an environmental activist.

“We have significant security procedures in place, we work with law enforcement agencies and we will wait and see what happens.

“We have advised the players please don’t get involved and I stand by that. We have enough things in place to be able to deal with that. Beyond that I think security matters I need to keep confidential.”

Masters champion Jon Rahm joked on Tuesday that any would-be protesters invading the course had better hope he was in a good mood at the time.

The world number three, who is known for the occasional fiery on-course outburst and will play the first two rounds in a marquee group with Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, said: “I do have a reputation so I hope they don’t catch me on a bad hole.”

Speaking at a media day at Hoylake in April, championships director Rhodri Price said the R&A would continue to engage with protest groups ahead of the Open, which is set to attract 260,000 spectators during the week – a record for an Open outside of St Andrews.

“It’s not something we are reactive to, we are very pro-active,” said Price, who said the R&A has the capacity to search all bags being brought into the course.

“We have all of the contingency planning, a monthly security group, intelligence cells that gather all this information. In fact they engage with all the protest groups to try to make sure we can provide for them if they were to attend.

“We’ve had several in the past that we were able to accommodate so that they can get their message across in a controlled environment.”

Tiger Woods has described his victory at Royal Liverpool in 2006 as the “most gratifying” of his three Open titles.

Woods has not travelled to Hoylake for the 151st Open as he continues to recover from surgery, but the 15-time major winner recorded a video message to thank the Association of Golf Writers for being given their award for Outstanding Services to Golf.

“Sorry I can’t be with you tonight,” Woods said.

“I just want to say that all my years of playing the Open Championship, starting at St Andrews in 1995, have been some of the greatest moments and greatest memories I have had, not just in my golfing career, but in my whole life.

“That week (at Hoylake) in 2006 was a very emotional one. It was the first championship I ever won without my dad being there.

“It was a tough, tough week, but also probably the most gratifying that I have ever experienced over there.”

Woods broke down in tears on the 18th green after successfully defending his Open title in 2006, his first victory since the death of his father Earl in May.

In his video message the 47-year-old fondly recalled being offered cups of coffee by journalists as he spoke after compiling a third round of 81 in horrendous conditions at Muirfield in 2002.

But he also could not resist referencing “an interesting side” to his relationship with the media and “some very creative writers and eclectic stories” that have been written over the years.

“I just want to say thank you for bringing joy to my life when I go over there to play the Open Championship; the history, the knowledge, the passing on of stories so I can pass them on to my son and to future generations,” Woods concluded.

Woods pulled out of the Masters during the third round in April, saying at the time it was due to plantar fasciitis.

However, he then had a subtalar fusion procedure in New York to address the problem caused by a previous fracture of his talus, a bone in the ankle joint.

Matt Fitzpatrick described it as “interesting” and, perhaps keen to avoid making headlines, was unwilling to expand any further.

Tommy Fleetwood called it “very penal” and believes it could be pivotal to the outcome of the 151st Open Championship, while Jon Rahm’s verdict of “I see what they tried to do” was hardly effusive praise.

The subject in question was the new par-three 17th at Royal Liverpool – a hole appropriately named ‘Little Eye’ given its length and the scrutiny it continues to receive ahead of the year’s final major.

“I was chatting to one of the players who were there last week and they were saying somebody could make a really high number on that hole,” 2019 champion Shane Lowry told the PA news agency.

“I think short par threes are the best in the world as long as they’re not too tricky.”

Much will depend on the strength and direction of the wind, with the hole measuring 136 yards on the card but capable of playing even shorter.

“I see what they tried to do,” Rahm said. “The old par-three, the 15th, was the complete opposite. You had a short downhill hole, most likely downwind, with basically all the edges sloping towards the centre of the green.

“I thought it was a good hole. You could make a birdie, and if you miss the green, a bogey was lurking.

“This time they made a really difficult turtleshell par-three. If you hit a good shot, put it on the green, you have a clear look at birdie. If you miss the green, you have a clear look at bogey.

“It’s way more difficult than it was before. I get that you’re going for that on a championship Sunday. You have a one-shot lead, that hole can be pivotal.”

Tommy Fleetwood, who made his Open debut at Royal Liverpool in 2014, said: “You can be hitting anything from a seven iron to a lob wedge and honestly I’m not sure whether into the wind or downwind is easier.

“But it’s a very penal hole if you get it wrong. It will be really interesting to see how it plays and one thing’s for sure is that the Open won’t be over until you’re through with that hole.

“I would like the tee to be raised a bit so you can see the actual green where you’re trying to land it, but it’s a good hole. I think it’s better than what was there before.”

Rory McIlroy believes he has enjoyed the ideal preparation as he bids to end his long major drought in the 151st Open Championship.

McIlroy travelled to Hoylake on Sunday afternoon after winning the Scottish Open in brilliant fashion, the 34-year-old defying strong winds to birdie the final two holes and edge out home favourite Robert MacIntyre by a shot.

Since then the world number two has been reacquainting himself with Royal Liverpool, the venue where he lifted the Claret Jug in 2014 just a month before claiming the last of his four majors to date in the US PGA Championship.

For the second major in succession McIlroy cancelled a planned formal press conference, but he did give short interviews to TV and radio outlets.

“I could not ask for better preparation,” he told BBC Sport NI. “The way I played the last two holes (in Scotland) was an amazing finish and a perfect way to come into this week.

“I’ve had a great nine years and won a lot of tournaments but the big four have eluded me. Hopefully this week that’s something I can change.

“It’s nice to be back here. It’s not like I think about it all that often so it’s nice to come back and re-familiarise myself with the course. It’s nice to come back to a major venue you’ve won on, but it also makes you feel a bit old.”

McIlroy has recorded 19 top 10s in the 34 majors played since his last victory, with his best chances of a win coming in last year’s Open and June’s US Open.

At St Andrews McIlroy held a two-shot lead at the turn in the final round before being overhauled by an inspired Cameron Smith, while he finished a shot behind Wyndham Clark at Los Angeles Country Club following a final round containing one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars.

“It’s just golf,” he told Sky Sports News. “At the end of the day I have to go out there and try to shoot the best score I can for four days in a row and hope that is one shot better than everyone else.

“I’m just trying to keep it as simple as possible, forget all the noise, forget everything else and just go out and enjoy myself more than anything else.

“The course is great. It’s in superb condition. It’s basically how I remember it. It’s a very strategic golf course off the tee. It’s very, very well bunkered and I think the biggest challenge of this golf course is avoiding those pot bunkers off the tee.

“It’s a very strategic golf course, which I like. You really have to think your way around it and whether you challenge the bunkers or not or lay back.”

McIlroy will partner Ryder Cup team-mates Jon Rahm and Justin Rose in the first two rounds, teeing off just before 3pm on Thursday.

Rory McIlroy will go into this week’s Open Championship with high hopes of ending his long wait for a fifth major championship.

The 2014 champion has won only one major since but a combination of the return to the same Royal Liverpool course and McIlroy’s recent form, in both majors and tour events, has raised hopes this may finally be his time.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at McIlroy’s record.

McIlroy cancelled his scheduled Tuesday press conference at Hoylake but will still be the focus of attention as he goes into the Open on the back of a win at the Genesis Scottish Open, his third of the season after the CJ Cup on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

He also has runner-up finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the US Open and has finished in the top 10 in 10 of the 15 events he has played.

They include his last six starts, beginning at the US PGA Championship where he finished tied for seventh.

He matched that at both the Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship and was tied ninth at the RBC Canadian Open, in addition to his US Open and Scottish results.

The latter gave him a 32nd career win across the PGA Tour and European Tour, plus the 2013 Australian Open before it became a European Tour event. That tally includes four majors but none since 2014.

When McIlroy won the 2014 US PGA Championship at Valhalla, it was his second successive major and fourth in his last 15 attempts – coming hot on the heels of his Open win and following the 2011 US Open and 2012 US PGA.

He has won none of the 33 he has contested since, with a string of near misses building the frustration.

Aside from missing the cut at this year’s Masters, he has finished in the top eight at the other six majors this season and last – including second place in Los Angeles this year and the 2022 Masters and third in last year’s Open at St Andrews.

In 58 majors in his career he has three second- and four third-place finishes to add to his four wins, with 17 top-five and 29 top-10 placings overall.

Should McIlroy win this or a subsequent major title, it will come after one of the longest waits in golfing history.

Only 10 players have won majors with more time elapsed between them than the eight years and 347 days from McIlroy’s 2014 US PGA win to this Sunday at Hoylake.

Julius Boros holds the record with 11 years and nine days between his US Open wins in 1952 and 1963, with Hale Irwin also winning that event 11 years apart.

Henry Cotton, Ben Crenshaw, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino and Ernie Els won majors after a decade-long wait, with John Henry Taylor and Bob Martin narrowly exceeding nine years.

Should McIlroy not win this week, any subsequent major would take him past the latter pair to the top eight of the list. Victory this week would place him 11th behind Willie Park Sr’s 1866 and 1875 Open wins.

Those victories tended to mark something of a swansong, with only Boros and Taylor going on to add a further grand slam event afterwards. At 34, though, McIlroy is younger than almost all of those players at the time of their win – Martin was 32, with Taylor (38) the only other under 40.

Cameron Smith insists he does not have a point to prove as he returns to defend the Open title he won just weeks before defecting to LIV Golf last year.

The Australian was well on his way to becoming world number one when he saw off Rory McIlroy in the final round at St Andrews to win his first major, but rumours were already circulating about a potential switch of tours.

He dodged the question in his winner’s press conference but less than six weeks later he had signed up with LIV and left the PGA Tour behind.

Smith has had top-10 finishes in two of the three majors this year but defending his title brings with it another level of pressure and he was asked whether returning to play in front of British crowds as a LIV golfer made any difference.

“I don’t think so. I don’t think there’s any added motivation there,” said the 29-year-old, who has won twice on the LIV Tour, most less than a fortnight ago in the London event at the Centurion Club.

“I think we’re all here to win the Claret Jug and basically any one of these guys, if they have their week this week, is going to walk away with it.

“I think LIV aside, I’m determined to try my best every week and just try and be a better golfer than I was last week.”

So had a life-changing 12 months as a major champion and major player on the LIV scene changed him in any way?

“I think the person is the same. I think my old boy would give me a clip around the ears if I was any different,” he added.

“I think as a golfer, I think I’m actually a better golfer now than what I was last year.

“I’ve never tried too much to worry about what people thought of me and I think LIV was really well received in Australia.

“They were probably the two most important things to me. I think when I went down to Australia to play the PGA and the Open, at the end of the year there was no public kind of uproar of me switching tours.

“They were just happy to see me there playing golf. That was awesome.”

Smith was famously less happy with the line of questioning in his press conference a year ago in his moment of triumph.

However, he takes a more rounded view of what happened, being able to look back at events.

“I think it was frustrating at the time, just given the circumstance, but then I guess looking back on it, it’s just a guy just trying to do his job and asked a question that everyone really wanted to know,” he said.

“I don’t have any hard feelings towards anyone there at all.”

His feelings on handing back the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool were markedly different, however, as he got unexpectedly emotional handing back the trophy to R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers at Hoylake.

“I just had to hand back the trophy there. I thought I was going to do all right but I was actually holding back from tears,” he said.

“A bit of a moment, I guess, that crept up on me. It wasn’t hard to hand it back, I wasn’t like not letting it go, but it was just a bit of a moment that I guess you don’t think about and then all of a sudden it’s there.”

Sir Nick Faldo has urged Rory McIlroy to act like he “owns the ring” as he bids to end his lengthy major drought.

McIlroy travelled to Hoylake on Sunday afternoon following a brilliant victory in the Genesis Scottish Open, where he birdied the last two holes to edge out home favourite Robert MacIntyre.

The world number two has not tasted victory in a major championship since the 2014 US PGA, a win which came a month after he had lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool.

Two of Faldo’s Open titles came at the same venue and the six-time major winner believes McIlroy should behave as if he is the defending champion this week.

“Yeah, why not?” Faldo said. “It’s like saying ‘I own the ring, you ain’t gonna knock me down’.

“I felt that way when I came back to Muirfield in 1992 after winning in 1987. I was playing well, I was world number one, one of the favourites and all that and I thought ‘yeah, this is my spot, I’m gonna defend winning at Muirfield’.

“He’s got to be feeling good going back to somewhere he’s won before. He’s playing well. I think the most important thing is he just wants to be a golfer right now, give me a bit of space, let me breathe, let me just go and play.

“He’s one of the top few players in the world and it’s probably a nice feeling for him – he knows if he plays really well he knows the names he’s got to beat.”

Thirty-four majors have been staged since McIlroy’s last victory, with Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa and Dustin Johnson all winning multiple titles and 18 different players tasting victory once, including a 50-year-old Phil Mickelson and an injury-ravaged Tiger Woods.

McIlroy has had to settle for commendable consistency, recording 19 top-10s and finishing no worse than eighth in all four majors in 2022, although genuine chances to win on the back nine on Sunday have been relatively scarce.

In last year’s Open McIlroy led by two at the turn before being overhauled by an inspired Cameron Smith.

A month ago he shared the lead in the final round of the US Open after a birdie on the first, but failed to make another and finished a shot behind Wyndham Clark, while his only dropped shot came after a poor wedge on the par-five 14th.

“I was doing the TV and the number of times I would say this must be so demoralising, he hits it 320 yards and then hits a wedge to 60 feet and three-putts it,” Faldo added.

“That’s such a killer to a pro. If he avoids that, if his bad wedge was to 20ft, then you’re laughing.

“That’s got to be his goal, really hone that short game and somehow trick himself and just imagine you’re 16 again and this is the most important tournament in my life, I’ve got a chance to win an Open; try and find that kind of motivation.

“Nine years is a long time, not many players go nine years [between major wins] but he’s so talented. It’s not like his game’s gone downhill.

“If he can find a way to almost hit the reset button, he’s still in his prime age; he’s just got to find that little bit of trust and determination. Can you fend off everybody else?

“You’ve got three days playing against yourself before you then take on the rest of the guys. I’ve got kind of a good vibe. I think he could pull another one out. I think he has a hell of a chance.”

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Darren Clarke became the oldest Open champion since 1967 on this day in 2011.

The 42-year-old Northern Irishman shot an even-par 70 on the final day to hold off the challenge of American duo Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson and win by three strokes at Royal St George’s, Sandwich.

It was an emotional victory as Clarke had lost his wife Heather to breast cancer five years earlier, with their two sons watching on at home across the Irish Sea.

“I’ve been writing this speech for 20 years now and it’s been a long bumpy road,” said Clarke, who had held the lead since the second day at the Kent course.

“This means a lot to me and my family and as you may know there is someone up there looking down on me as well.”

It was the third win for a Northern Irishman at a major in the space of 13 months after Graeme McDowell’s 2010 US Open success and Rory McIlroy’s victory at the 2011 edition at Congression Country Club, Maryland, a month earlier.

Clarke became the oldest Open champion since Roberto De Vicenzo’s triumph in 1967 at the age of 44.

England’s Nathan Kimsey has fallen just short of a maiden PGA Tour title after losing in a playoff to Vincent Norrman at the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky.

Kimsey, the 30-year-old European tour player, made his PGA Tour debut in this co-sanctioned event.

He was faultless on the last day of the tournament up until the playoff hole, hitting six birdies and an eagle to put pressure on Norrman, who bogeyed the last.

He shot 62 and finished on 22 under par to force the playoff with Norrman, from Sweden, at Keene Trace.

Unfortunately for Kimsey, he bogeyed the playoff hole, and Norrman parred to secure his first PGA Tour title.

After the day’s play, Kimsey said he was pleased with his performance overall.

He said: “I feel like I barely missed a shot all day.

“Holed a few nice putts and just kind of did a really good job of executing kind of the whole back nine and keep pushing really.

“Yeah, like I can’t complain with anything I did today.”

Kimsey would have been the first player to win on his PGA Tour debut since 1988.

French golfer Adrien Saddier and American Trevor Cone finished tied in third place on 21 under par.

England’s Daniel Brown finished a further three shots back.

Rory McIlroy completed the ideal preparation for the 151st Open as he produced a stunning finish to deny home favourite Robert MacIntyre in dramatic circumstances in the Genesis Scottish Open.

MacIntyre had set a daunting target of 14 under par thanks to a sensational birdie on the 18th, just the second of the day on the closing hole at the Renaissance Club as strong winds made for testing scoring conditions.

However, overnight leader McIlroy birdied the par-three 17th to get on level terms and then hit a stunning 2-iron approach into the last before holing from 10 feet to complete a closing 68 and win his second Rolex Series title of the year.

McIlroy, who will head into next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, scene of his 2014 triumph, on the back of his first win on Scottish soil, said: “I’m really proud.

“That was such a tough day, especially the back nine. To play that in four under par to win the tournament I’m really proud of how I stuck in there, hit some amazing shots down the stretch and was able to finish it off.

“It feels incredible. It’s been a sort of long six months I feel since I won in Dubai. I’ve given myself tonnes of chances and hopefully this win sort of breaks the seal for me, especially going in to next week as well.

“It’s nice to have the validation. It’s great racking up top fives and top 10s, but it’s much nicer heading away with a trophy on a Sunday afternoon.

“It’s a great shot of confidence and helps having something fresh in my memory. If I hopefully find myself in a similar position next week where I have a chance to win with nine holes to go, I can certainly draw on what I did here.

“I haven’t seen Hoylake since 2014 so I’ll get out on the course on Monday and try to figure it out and make sure I’m ready.”

MacIntyre began the final round five shots behind McIlroy but made good on his promise to relish “absolutely brutal” weather as he followed birdies on the third and sixth with an eagle on the par-five 10th.

A birdie on the 14th moved the left-hander into the outright lead for the first time as pacesetter Tyrrell Hatton began to falter – and he immediately doubled his advantage after a superb approach to the next finished inches from the hole.

McIlroy kept himself in contention with a birdie on the 11th and, after MacIntyre bogeyed the par-five 16th, the Northern Irishman holed from almost 40 feet on the 14th to share the lead.

MacIntyre was fortunate to find the spectator walkway following a wild drive on the 18th, but took full advantage by hitting a stunning approach with a fairway wood to within four feet of the hole.

The resulting birdie completed a superb 64 but, having gone to the turn in 37, McIlroy came home in 31 – despite failing to birdie either par five – to snatch an unlikely victory.

“It was a poor tee-shot on the 18th, but then probably the best shot I have ever hit in my life,” MacIntyre said.

“I thought it might be enough, but that’s what happens when you are playing against the best in the world. I’ve grown up watching Scottish Opens and my dream was always to win one.

“I thought today might have been the day, but it wasn’t to be. I’m absolutely gutted just now, but I take my hat off to Rory. What a finish.”

MacIntyre had fought back tears as he walked off the 18th green contemplating what looked like being a third DP World Tour title worth £1.2million and a two-year PGA Tour exemption.

“I have never had support like that in my life,” he added. “Having the support of family and friends is massive. But it felt like everyone out there was willing me to do it.

“I was struggling for a wee bit there, I didn’t have the love for the game, I didn’t have the buzz, I was never in contention, I was pottering about middle of the table.

“The last wee while I have been in contention, I have got the buzz back. It would have been one hell of a celebration but it wasn’t to be just now.”

The runners-up finish is still a massive boost to MacIntyre’s chances of securing a Ryder Cup debut in Rome and McIlroy was full of praise for the 26-year-old.

“If he can shoot 64 on a day like today he can do anything,” McIlroy said. “That was an unbelievable round of golf. It’s great to see him back in form.”

South Korea’s Ben An and Sweden’s David Lingmerth secured places in the Open after finishing in a tie for third with world number one Scottie Scheffler, with Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard taking the last berth thanks to a closing 67.

Rory McIlroy produced a stunning finish to deny home favourite Robert MacIntyre the biggest win of his career in amazing fashion in the £7million Genesis Scottish Open.

MacIntyre had set a daunting target of 14 under par thanks to a sensational birdie on the 18th, just the second of the day on the closing hole as winds gusting up to 40mph made for testing scoring conditions.

However, overnight leader McIlroy birdied the par-three 17th to get on level terms and then hit a stunning 2-iron approach into the last before holing from 10 feet to secure his second Rolex Series title of the year.

“I’m really proud,” said McIlroy, who will head to next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, scene of his 2014 triumph, on the back of his first win on Scottish soil.

“That was such a tough day, especially the back nine. To play that in four under par to win the tournament I’m really proud of how I stuck in there, hit some amazing shots down the stretch and was able to finish it off.

“It feels incredible. It’s been a sort of long six months I feel since I won in Dubai. I’ve given myself tonnes of chances and hopefully this win sort of breaks the seal for me, especially going in to next week as well.”

MacIntyre had been fortunate to find the spectator walkway following a wild drive on the 18th, but took full advantage by hitting a stunning approach with a fairway wood to within four feet of the hole.

The left-hander began the final round five shots behind McIlroy, but made good on his promise to relish “absolutely brutal” weather as he followed birdies on the third and sixth with an eagle on the par-five 10th.

A birdie on the 14th moved MacIntyre into the outright lead for the first time and he immediately doubled his advantage after a stunning approach to the next finished inches from the hole.

McIlroy kept himself in contention with a birdie on the 11th and a vital par save on the 12th, the world number three thinking his putt had missed before it caught the edge of the hole and dropped.

And, after MacIntyre bogeyed the par-five 16th, McIlroy holed from almost 40 feet on the 14th to share the lead.

MacIntyre’s amazing birdie on the 18th completed a stunning 64 and edged him back in front, but, after missing from eight feet on the par-five 16th, McIlroy conjured up a magical finish to seal a brilliant fightback.

Ankle surgery has ruled out 15-time major winner Tiger Woods from playing in The Open at Royal Liverpool but there will be a new Tiger in town for the week, with a German amateur carrying the name at Hoylake.

Tiger Christensen came through final qualifying at West Lancashire Golf Club in Crosby, near Liverpool, earlier this month to book his major debut.

But the United States-based 19-year-old accepts the similarities end with sharing the same name, country of residence and preference for an orange-and-black striped animal driver headcover.

“He’s a pretty big inspiration. To me he’s the greatest of all time,” said the Arizona University student

“I think it’s really special what he’s done for the game, changed the entire game and made it more popular, and his achievements are just unbelievable.

“It’s something you could look up to.”

Referring to how he got his name he added: “It’s not only named after Tiger Woods – my dad has a very good friend who’s a retired boxer and his ring name was Tiger so it’s 50/50.”

“For me it’s never been (a burden) because it’s just my birth name. I’m glad to be called Tiger.

“I understand everything I’m ever going to do they are going to compare me to him straightaway but at the end of the day it’s a different time, I don’t have any connection to him. It’s just a name.”

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“I played a lot of football when I was younger and I always wanted to be a football pro until I was about 10 and then I started playing US kids tournaments and that is when I transitioned to wanting to become a golf professional,” added the Hamburg-born golfer, whose world ranking is above 3,700.

Christensen was the only amateur to make it through final qualifying across four venues, only three days after almost securing a place via the European Amateur Championship in Estonia.

A month earlier the teenager made his DP World Tour debut with an appearance in the Porsche European Open held in the city of his birth, although rounds of 80 and 79 saw him miss the cut by some distance on 13 over.

“I cope with pressure pretty good, although at the DP World Tour event there was a new pressure I hadn’t had in playing with spectators,” he said of his imminent Open appearance.

“Usually in amateur events only the final couple of groups, if you are playing well, get spectators but I think the DP World Tour event really helped me going into the Open.

“I’ve now had those couple of crowd experiences, the seriousness of everyone around the tournament and how professional it is, so I think that will help me a lot.

“I don’t want to sound cocky but I was pretty certain of qualifying. I played the US Open qualifying and fell just short. I felt it wasn’t far away.

“It’s going to be a great experience. I’m going to go with zero expectations and take it all in.

“But my final goal, which is supported by smaller goals, is to win as many majors as I can.”

Tyrrell Hatton believes it would be “mega” to become the first English winner of the Open on home soil for more than half a century.

Sir Nick Faldo has lifted the Claret Jug three times since Tony Jacklin’s victory at Royal Lytham in 1969, but all of those wins – two at Muirfield and one at St Andrews – came in Scotland.

Hatton saw at close quarters the atmosphere generated by having a home player in contention when he finished sixth behind Shane Lowry at Portrush in 2019 and would love to be part of similar scenes next week at Royal Liverpool.

“It would be mega,” Hatton said during the Genesis Scottish Open. “When Shane won at Portrush a few years ago the scenes were just epic.

“It would obviously be great. Even if it wasn’t myself, it would be nice to see another Englishman in that position walking up the 18th.

“With the likes of Tommy [Fleetwood] and I, it’s not something we would necessarily speak about away from the golf course. But there are obviously certain things you don’t need to say.

“You could see it in Canada [the RBC Canadian Open] when we were able to stick around and watch Tommy in the play-off. You want to see your friends do well and hope they can go on and win.”

Hatton’s early record in the Open was nothing to write home about as he missed the cut on his first four starts, but he was fifth at Troon in 2016, sixth in 2019 and 11th last year.

The 31-year-old also won the Dunhill Links Championship in 2016 and 2017 – and was second the following year – and said: “The experience is definitely there for me now. It’s a case of me going out and trying my best.

“If I go there and play well, I feel like I will definitely give myself a chance.

“Potentially the Open is my best chance of winning a major, but I wouldn’t want to have that added pressure on myself by looking at it like that.

“As a British player, you definitely feel like you’re playing in a special tournament. But, ultimately, you’re just trying to treat it the same as any other week.”

Hatton’s bid for a first major title has been boosted by the return of long-time caddie Mick Donaghy, who had been sidelined for several months following a knee operation.

“It’s great having him back,” Hatton added. “He’s happy to be back out on the bag. He’s been out here since the late 80s.

“I had a really good stretch with Bo (Martin) on the bag, but me and Mick have been working together since May 2019. I feel really comfortable with Mick and we’ve had some good weeks together.

“Mick understands how I am. If I say certain things on the golf course, it’s not in a personal way. I’m just venting. Some guys and their personalities wouldn’t be able to deal with that, which is fine. Everyone is different.

“But Mick is good. He can handle the s*** that comes out my mouth at times.”

Rory McIlroy admitted a first victory in Scotland was long overdue as he took a slender lead into the final day of the £7million Genesis Scottish Open.

A third round of 67 ensured halfway leader McIlroy remained the man to catch at The Renaissance Club on 13 under par, with South Korea’s Tom Kim a shot behind and Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman another stroke back.

World number one Scottie Scheffler and former Open champion Shane Lowry are part of a five-way tie for fifth on 10 under, with tee times brought forward several hours on Sunday due to the forecast for winds gusting up to 40mph.

McIlroy threatened to forge a bigger advantage when he covered his first 10 holes in four under, but covered the last eight in one over as the top 17 players ended the day separated by just five shots.

“I felt like I played really good golf for those first 11 holes and made that first bogey on 12 and it was a little scrappy coming in from there,” McIlroy said.

“But overall another solid day’s play and put myself into a great position going into the final day.

“There’s a lot of great players behind me but it’s going to be difficult for everyone. When the wind gets like that there’s a lot of skill involved but it’s also just attitude and trying to stay upbeat when you’re probably going to get bad breaks here and there.

“The guy with the best attitude is going to have the best chance.”

Asked about the prospect of winning on Scottish soil for the first time, McIlroy added: “It would be great. I’ve had a lot of close calls in Opens and Dunhill Links and all sorts of stuff, but it would be fantastic.

“I remember playing my first Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in 2005. It’s nice to reminisce and I’ve come a long way since then, but 18 years is too long for me to not pick up a trophy in this country.”

A month after charging through the field with a closing 63 in the US Open, Fleetwood matched that score thanks to eight birdies and a solitary bogey at a venue where he finished fourth last year and lost out in a play-off in 2020.

“I’m very happy,” said Fleetwood, who started on the 10th and birdied two of his last three holes on the front nine. “Those last three holes are tough so it was great to get on the right side of those and finish strong.

“On Friday when I made that double bogey on eight I was level par for the tournament with 10 holes to play and at that point the first port of call is to make the weekend.

“Played really well from there on in and then today got a bit of momentum going. It was just one of those days where things go more your way than others.”

Lowry would have been alongside Fleetwood but for a bogey on the last, the 36-year-old having earlier carded five birdies and an eagle on the 10th.

“I didn’t play great on Thursday and just found something in the middle of the round yesterday and got it going,” Lowry said.

“I’ve been rolling a few putts in which is always nice. Some lovely stuff over the last few days and plenty of confidence builders to take into The Open next week.

“But obviously first and foremost, tomorrow I’d love to go out and give myself a chance to win this tournament. It’s obviously a huge tournament for us in Europe and one that I would love to add my name to.”

Alex Fitzpatrick accepts he will have to live in the shadow of his more famous golfing brother Matt for some time yet but an Open debut will at least give him a chance to showcase his talent to a wider audience.

He is not naive enough to think that for the duration of his time at Royal Liverpool he will not be referred to as the younger sibling of the 2022 US Open champion.

The 24-year-old, four years Matt’s junior, is comfortable with the reality, however, after only turning professional 13 months ago.

Asked whether the Open would allow him to emerge from Matt’s shadow, he said: “Probably not, no – but I’m OK with that to be honest.

“He can’t help being US Open champion, I’d never wish him not to be. I couldn’t be prouder.

“It’s a very difficult topic. It’s something I’ve dealt with from being young.

“I’m not going to sugar-coat it, at times it is pretty hard. You have Tweets being sent to you with random messages like ‘You’re not as good as your brother’.

“I love my brother to death and obviously he is a fantastic golfer and I’d never change it for the world but people expect you to do a lot of things and I think it is hard sometimes to live up to that.

“But you make your own path and I’m on the way to doing that.”

Fitzpatrick is trying to break into the big time via the Challenge Tour this season but has already had one significant moment in the sun after coming through qualifying at West Lancashire Golf Club a fortnight ago in a field which contained Ryder Cup players Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Jamie Donaldson.

That booked his first appearance at a major and the chance to play on the same stage as his brother, with whom he will practise at Royal Liverpool.

“It’s cool. I’ve now played in a couple of events with him but I’ve never played in a major and it’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid,” he added.

“It’s super-special, especially the Open Championship where you have home support and it’s great for the family.

“I’m very appreciative and thankful to have someone so high up in the world rankings and so good at golf who’s only a text message or a phone call away or even in person.

“I’m in a very privileged spot that a lot of people aren’t but I’m very appreciative of it so it’s the best of both worlds for me.”

Fitzpatrick has some knowledge of the Hoylake layout, having played the 2019 Walker Cup there while still an amateur.

His memories, however, of that defeat to the United States are not the most positive.

“I remember pooing my pants on the first (the Open’s third hole) knowing that the range (internal out of bounds) is just there but I don’t care what’s there and what’s around, teeing it up there will just be a dream,” he said.