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.
McIlroy: I'd pay for the privilege of playing in Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy says he would pay to play in the Ryder Cup in response to reports that each member of Team USA will receive $400,000 for competing in next year's edition.
The 35-year-old was one of several European golfers who believe financial reward is unnecessary to play in the competition.
The news of a $4.8m purse split between Team USA comes after Patrick Cantlay refused to wear the team cap at last year's Ryder Cup in Rome, in an apparent protest about not being paid to represent his country.
"I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup," McIlroy told BBC Sport on Thursday.
"The two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it's partly because of that, the purity of no money being involved."
With record highs in prize money for professional golf now available in response to the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV tour, McIlroy does not think that the money is needed.
"I don't think any of the 24 players on either team needs that 400 grand," he said.
"Every two years, there are 104 weeks and 103 weeks you can play golf and get paid."
Cantlay was mocked for his decision not to wear his team's cap in Rome, with fans removing their headwear to mimic him.
While it led to McIlroy getting into a heated argument with Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava at the time, he does see the other side of things.
"It was a discussion that was happening in Rome. I can see the other side of the argument because the Ryder Cup does create a lot of revenue," he added.
"It is one of the probably top five biggest sporting events in the world. So I get the argument that the talent should be or could be getting paid.
"But the Ryder Cup is so much more than that, especially to the Europeans and to this tour."
McIlroy boosts Race to Dubai hopes with early lead in DP World Tour Championship
Rory McIlroy made a dream start to the DP World Tour Championship, taking a share of the lead after the opening round in Dubai.
The Northern Irishman, a two-time winner at the event, holds a 1,758-point lead over Thriston Lawrence and needs to finish 11th or higher to guarantee top spot in the season-long standings for the third successive year.
He carded a five-under 67 in the first round, improving on his mixed results on the first nine to finish with six birdies and a lone bogey.
A brilliant long putt on the 17th topped off his impressive performance, giving him a share of the early advantage with Tyrrell Hatton, who held onto the lead by making par on the 18th.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his final round, McIlroy was asked if it bothered him that the media holds him to a higher standard during big events.
"Depends what day it is!" he said. "I think overall I have to take it as a compliment.
"It's a testament to the body of work that I've put in over the course of my 17 or 18-year career that I am held to such a high standard. And I want to live up to those standards too. It's not just everyone else. I fully expect to turn up to tournaments and have a chance to win every time. I'm under no illusions that I'm not going to win every time.
"But with how many chances I've given myself, especially this year, it feels like I probably should've won a couple of more times. But saying that, if I go on and have another three good days here and end the year with a win, I'll look back on 2024 pretty fondly.
"I thought I did well [on Thursday]. The golf course is playing a little bit tougher than it has done in previous years with how thick the rough is. I made some nice pars around the middle of the round when a couple of holes could have got away from me, and then I finished well with the birdies on 14 and 17."
Last week's Abu Dhabi Championship winner, Paul Waring, sits one shot back in third, while Billy Horschel and Adam Scott are among those to card a three-under 69.
Meanwhile, Lawrence, the only player who could catch McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, struggled on Thursday and sits six back after he finished one over on 73.
'I have to take care of myself' – McIlroy to play reduced schedule in 2025
Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will play a reduced schedule of 22 or 23 events in 2025, acknowledging he must take care of his body after a challenging year.
McIlroy endured a series of agonising near misses in 2024, most notably when losing to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open in June, when he made three bogeys in his last four holes to relinquish the lead.
While the Northern Irishman has not won a major crown since 2014, he is closing in on a sixth Race to Dubai crown, holding a lead of 1,785 points over Thriston Lawrence ahead of this week's DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
As McIlroy prepares for his 18th season as a professional, he has revealed his intention to skip a series of events, mostly those staged in the United States.
"If I can trim it down to 22 or 23, that will be good for me in the long run," McIlory said in an interview with BBC Sport.
"I have to remember I'm 35, I'm knocking on a little bit – I have the grey hairs to prove it.
"At 35, I've been on tour for 17 or 18 years, I'm not slowing down but I just have to take care of myself and my body a little bit more.
"I'm not going to miss these tournaments in the Middle East, I'm not going to miss Wentworth, the Irish Open or the Scottish Open.
"There were a few events I played in America this season that I don't typically play, and I think that's where I'm going to have to trim a little bit."
McIlroy has previously won the DP World Tour Championship on two occasions, beating Justin Rose by two strokes in 2012 and edging out Andy Sullivan in 2015.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
