McIlroy 'In A Good Spot'

World No. 2 ready to embrace pressure on return to Portrush for British Open

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BELFAST - As a 16-year-old at the 2005 North of Ireland Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush, Rory McIlroy shot a course-record 61. That was the old course, before redesign. It is a course he recognizes only parts of now.

As the Northern Irishman returns to Royal Portrush and the British Open this week, he is a changed man, too.

He is ready to accept and embrace the pressure that comes from being the favourite son, something that he admitted got the best of him the last time the British Open was played at Royal Portrush in 2019.

"It's a Major championship, everything that comes along with it... I just think that that feeling, the walk to the first tee and then that ovation, I was still a little surprised and a little taken aback, like geez, these people really want me to win," he told reporters on July 14 about the experience in 2019.

"I think that brought its own sort of pressure and more internally from myself and not really wanting to let people down. I guess it's just something I didn't mentally prepare for that day or that week.