2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush Preview

At age 36, Rory McIlroy has accomplished nearly everything that can be accomplished in the sport. One of six men to win the career grand slam, McIlroy has proven his ability to win on any surface against any field. Nonetheless, his journey to becoming the most decorated player of his generation has not been without its battle scars.

One of the biggest and most painful wounds of McIlroy’s career came in 2019 at the site of this week’s Open Championship, Royal Portrush. Rory fired his opening tee shot way left and out of bounds en route to a quadruple bogey, shattering his chances of winning the Claret Jug. He’d go on to miss the cut.

In his pre-tournament press conference on Monday, Rory acknowledged not being ready for the moment in 2019. He described being taken aback at the intensity of the standing ovation he received on the first tee and that he wasn’t prepared for it. After spending the last few days on site and visiting a couple of other places on the island of Ireland, I understand the weight that McIlroy must have felt on the first tee in 2019 a little bit better now. Ask anyone in the area who they think will win this week, and you’ll be met with only one name. Ask any person of any age who their favorite player is, and you’ll receive one response far more often than any others. The moment in 2019 was enormous. For Rory, for the return of major championship golf to his home country, and for his millions of fans. Six years later, the moment doesn’t feel much smaller.

This time around Royal Portrush, McIlroy will stand on the first tee as a more complete player in every sense, including mentally. And this time around, McIlroy is handling the lead-up to the opening tee shot differently than in 2019. “I think in '19 I probably tried to isolate, and I think it's better for everyone if I embrace it,” McIlroy said. “I think it's more of an embrace everything that's going to come my way this week and not try to shy away from it or hide away from it, and I think that'll make for a better experience for everyone involved.”

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I find McIlroy’s perspective and approach to be wise. You play your best golf when you’re comfortable. There is no comfort in living a lie or in pretending that reality does not exist. You may be able to convince other people that a massively significant tournament is just like any other week on Tour and doesn’t take on additional importance for you. But you’ll never be able to convince yourself.

The reality is that this week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush once again represents an extraordinary opportunity for McIlroy. He’s playing a major championship in his prime at one of the best venues in the world, which just so happens to be in his home country. It is a huge week for the reigning Masters champion. You can feel it in the air.  

When McIlroy steps onto the first tee on Thursday morning, the applause will be intense once again. And there will still be out-of-bounds stakes left of the fairway and in the back of McIlroy’s mind. This time, however, McIlroy isn’t shying away from the significance of this tournament.

Press Conference Round-Up

On the difference between Irish links and other links courses:

“From what I've played in Ireland, I think…it just seems they use the contours in different ways.

“If you take here Portstewart, Ballyliffin, Lahinch, all those courses, it's a lot more – even Ballybunion, it's framed around the dunes and using the elevation a little bit better. Not better, like using the elevation. Even at Portstewart, you're going up-and-down a little bit more. When you're playing Troon, flat as can be. Birkdale, flat. So I'm not used to seeing those changes…

“I don't know if it's just the natural landscape or the way they decided to do it when they came over, but I would say that's the main difference.” – Jon Rahm

On Royal Portrush:

“I have a real appreciation for how well bunkered it is off the tee. It's like, okay, well, I can hit a 2-iron off the tee, but that brings this bunker into play. But then if I hit driver, it'll bring this bunker – so you have to take on the shot. You have to say, okay, I'm going to commit to hitting this shot and I just know I'm going to have to avoid – like some courses that we go to in the Open rota you can just take the bunkers out of play. You can lay up short of them or go beyond them. Here there's always one bunker or another bunker in play, so I think off the tee it provides a very, very good test.” – Rory McIlroy

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On why he is hesitant to play a more international schedule as world No. 1:

“I think the greatest competition we have right now in the game of golf is the PGA Tour and playing in the States. I'm playing where the best competition is…There's a time and a place for (travel), and right now, with the way my life is, it's not really the time or the place.” – Scottie Scheffler

On the absence of links golf from the LIV Golf schedule:

“I think that playing a links-style golf course is what we need to do. There are some hindrances to that currently that I think is pretty public…Getting onto a links golf course has been nearly impossible.” – Bryson DeChambeau

On-Site Observations

The list of holes I’ve seen that are as stunning as No. 5 at Royal Portrush is very short.

Testing the best players in the world requires severity around the greens. Royal Portrush definitively checks that box. When you miss around the greens in the wrong spot, it’s a steep penalty.

One of the things I’m most excited to see this week is which golfers are unable to control their ball flight, spin, and trajectory. If you don’t have all the shots in the bag, we’ll find out, especially when conditions show up.

There is a tremendous amount of variety in terms of the clubs players will hit both off the tee and into greens. Day to day, holes will play completely different depending on the wind’s direction and intensity.

For those who like animal content, I wouldn’t expect to see too many seagulls on the golf course this week. Three Harris’s Hawks are carried around by wildlife specialists, intended to scare off seagulls. The most natural major indeed!

‍This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.