THOSE ROR EMOTIONS..

Mcllroy's always been a man who wears his heart on his sleeve & when it's a green jacket his joy is clear to see

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

RORY MCILROY'S starkly changeable mood at the K Club matched the weather in Straffan yesterday.

There was the Rory who had a message to convey to the DP World Tour and PGA Tour after his group was put on the clock twice in the opening round of the Amgen Irish Open.

Then, less than two hours later, there was the Rory who charmed the crowd on stage in the Championship Village, where he made his first public appearance wearing the green jacket he earned at Augusta to become Masters champion for the first time.

The dark clouds had blown away for the 36-year-old by then, even if his 30-minute chat with broadcaster Shane O'Donoghue was intermittently interrupted by rain.

Half an hour before their Q and A started, play was suspended on the course due to the threat of lightning. It was that kind of day.

"Who thought of holding this outside?" laughed McIlroy, as hoods and umbrellas went up in the crowd.

But nobody left as they listened to him discuss his Grand Slam achievement, how he followed his dream and his hopes of doing the Grand Slam all over again.

On the Irish Open, McIlroy mentioned that his mother, Rosie, got more satisfaction from his 2016 triumph at the K Club than any of his major victories.

He also admitted that, apart from that solitary win, he has underachieved in his 20 years playing the tournament.