RORY RELISHES ROYAL RETURN

4-time Major champ out to play 'carefree' golf at site of his lone British Open title

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HOYLAKE, England - If Rory McIlroy is feeling the weight of a nine-year Major championship drought, he is certainly playing it off well.

Fresh off a dramatic win at the Scottish Open, the 34-year-old walked the course at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England on Monday, "refamiliarising" himself with the site of his lone British Open title in 2014.

"Regardless of what happened last week, I'm coming here to try to play a really good Major championship," he told the Golf Channel. "I know my game holds up well in these sorts of tests. Obviously, I've got some really good memories of this place from nine years ago."

That was McIlroy's third career Major triumph at just 25. He would get another at the PGA Championship later that summer, with Jack Nicklaus predicting the Northern Irishman would ultimately win 15 in his career.

However, the Major well has run dry since then. McIlroy does have a trio of runner-up finishes in Majors over the past eight years the British Open in 2018, the 2022 Masters and at the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June.