Rory McIlroy declared he’s determined to embrace the home town favouritism tag heading into this week’s Irish Open at Royal Portrush.
McIlroy faces an enormous weight of expectation while there’s also cloud of uncertainty still hanging over his game following some indifferent recent efforts.
McIlroy is among eight Major winners in the field including local Portrush residents Graeme McDowell, winner of the 2010 U.S. Open, and Darren Clarke, who has 25 days left as reigning Open Champion.
McIlroy determined to 'embrace' Irish Open home advantage tag. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Strangely, McIlroy is not all that familiar with Royal Portrush, and the only course outside of Scotland and England to host The Open.
He shot a course record 61 in his only other competitive appearance and that was in qualifying for the 2005 North of Ireland Amateur, and the only time he played the course in competition.
However the 23-year old yesterday could recall every shot, every birdie and his eagle at the 10th.
“It was just one of those day where everything was on song except for missing a six-footer for birdie at the first,” he said smiling.
However the question on the minds of a sell-out 27,000 crowd over the first two days is whether McIlroy has his game on song for a sixth Irish Open appearance.
He’s missed the cut in two of the biggest events this year, the Players Championship and last fortnight’s U.S. Open in San Francisco.
“The last couple of years I didn’t quite enjoy the tag of home favourite heading into an Irish Open,” he said.
“I just didn’t feel very comfortable with it.
“But this year I really want to embrace the tag. You look at so many people and where they have got a home advantage, it is an advantage, and it should be not just for me but for the other Irish guys here, as well.
“It’s something that you really have to embrace, and that’s what I am going to try and do this week.”
McIlroy will play the opening two rounds in the company of PGA Champion, Keegan Bradley and South African Branden Grace, a three-time Tour winner this season.
And McIlroy revealed he intends also taking a further leaf out of Tiger Woods’ book and plans to play Royal Lytham and St. Annes next fortnight in the week before golf’s oldest Major when there’ll be not crowds present on the Lancashire links gem.
It will mean missing the Scottish Open on the Gil Hanse designed Castle Stuart course at Inverness.
“I’ll go up to Lytham for a couple of days the week before The Open, and just get ready that way,” he said.
“I played three Lytham Trophies and the British Amateur there. I had a real good chance to win the Lytham Trophy twice, and Danny Willett beat me 5-up in the first round of the British Amateur.
“But Lytham is a great golf course and I’m looking forward to playing there.”
And McIlroy will be looking to fair better than last year’s Open at Royal St. George’s where he and Luke Donald crashed out after two days.
