When it comes to being the main attraction at home events, Rory McIlroy’s performances have been more Nicki Minaj than Bruce Springsteen as far as time spent on the big stage goes.
Three missed cuts in four events held in the north of Ireland from 2012 to 2019 including the 2015 Irish Open at Royal County Down and 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush makes for grim reading, with a T10 at the 2012 Irish Open in Portrush a bright spark on a torrid record up north.
In truth, despite winning the Irish Open in 2016 at the K Club, McIlroy’s record on home soil is modest. He missed three successive cuts before winning and he is yet to record a top-10 finish since becoming the last Irishman to lift the trophy. A record he hopes to put right at this week’s Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down.
“Yeah, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword,” said McIlroy who is prone to disaster in front of the locals, carding an opening round of 80 at the 2015 Irish Open before going out of bounds with his opening tee shot at the 2019 Open Championship en route to an emotional missed cut.
“I get the buzz but I also feel the added pressure of trying to perform at home. Something I’ve honestly struggled with in the past. You know, the couple Irish Opens that I’ve played in northern Ireland, the one Open Championship I played in Northern Ireland, hasn’t went so well. I usually just try to relax and go about my business as I would at any other time of the year. It’s great to play in front of them but tone of voice manage my own little world around me to try to get the best out of myself as well.”
McIlroy isn’t just the main man when it comes to teeing it up on a Thursday either. Just an hour down the road from his hometown of Holywood, the adoring fans, many of whom are children have already flocked the golf course and practice facilities looking to get a glimpse, a smile, an autograph from the four-time major winner.
“I know it doesn’t seem that long ago that I was one of those kids in that line trying to get an autograph at Mount Juliet or an Irish Open wherever it was back in 2003, 2004. And I know how much it meant to me to get, you know, Tiger’s autograph or Ernie or Sergio or any of those guys,” said the 35-year-old.
“I understand, it’s hard to get to everyone but I try to make an effort, especially when I come back here. I don’t get to play competitive golf very often back here. So I certainly appreciate the support that I get.
“And yeah, as you said, to see so many youngsters out there, it’s great to see. Try to make sure that they know that it’s appreciated and hopefully I can, I guess, give them something to aspire towards in the future if golf is what they want to do.”
McIlroy is back home away from the hustle and bustle of the PGA Tour and even further away from the PGA Tour and PIF talks that are bizarrely taking place on the anniversary of the 9/11 disaster. Timing which McIlroy labelled as ‘peculiar.’
“I don’t know much about the talks that are going on. I know that there is but that’s not something that I’m a part of.
“Yeah, I mean, I think we are all in the game of golf trying to look for a solution to all this and try to move forward. So we’ll see, yeah. I know as much as you do at this point, and I’m sure news will start to trickle out here in the next few days.”
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