DESTINY'S CHILLED

RORY MCILROY was so relaxed during his final Royal Portrush practice round that he sat on the bench behind the fifth green to pose for pictures in the glorious sunshine.

- By Neil McLeman

“It’s like this every day in Northern Ireland,” he said.

The Masters champion was in equally good form when he proudly donned his Green Jacket to accept an award at the Association of Golf Writers Dinner on Tuesday night.

Asked about his brutally short hair cut, he laughed and said: “It is for the summer. It will grow back thankfully — I have still got decent genetics.

“It is going a little grey. It will be the perfect length for the Ryder Cup in September!”

It is quite a contrast from 2019, when the Northern Irishman tried to treat his home Open as just another tournament.

He was instead gripped by nerves on the first tee and hooked his long iron out of bounds on his way to a quadruple-bogey eight and the weekend off.

This time he is enjoying the updated 2025 version of Rorymania.

He was cheered off the driving range and every tee and green yesterday.