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‘What happened?' – Rory McIlroy cracks interviewer up with reason behind new look & jokes ‘it makes me look more grey'

‘What happened?' – Rory McIlroy cracks interviewer up with reason behind new look & jokes ‘it makes me look more grey'

The Irish Sun2 days ago
RORY McILROY explained why he got an eye-catching haircut before the Scottish Open - joking that it "makes me look more grey".
1
Rory McIlroy debuted a new haircut at the Scottish Open
Credit: X @DPWorldTour
It led to fans joking that he "looks more and more like Mr Bean" while it prompted an explanation on CBS.
He revealed: "You know, I am getting a little grey as everybody probably knows and I stupidly thought that by going shorter, it would take the greys out.
"If anything, I think it makes me look more grey. It'll grow back, that's the good thing. It'll be perfect for the
His year has already been a triumph after winning
Read More on Rory McIlroy
It brought to an end a 10-year wait for a major, while the Holywood ace became just the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam.
Winning
next
week would add to the legacy of the 36-year-old and he completes preparations at the Scottish Open.
And he revealed he is
He said: 'That ability to stay on top of your game for a long period of time takes so much out of you.
Most read in Golf
'It's one of the underappreciated things about any sport. Look at what Djokovic is doing at
'Or look what someone like Cristiano
Ronaldo
is doing at 40 or
Eagle-eyed fans spot Rory McIlroy's 'unrepeatable' magic trick in furious fit of rage at US Open
'That longevity is something that isn't talked about enough. Once you get to a certain level, it is so difficult to maintain it.
'I feel like the journey on the way up is almost — I'm not going to say it's easy but you have momentum and you're riding a wave to the top.
'Once you get there it takes as much
work
, if not more, to stay there.'
And he name-checked
He added: 'Before I won The Masters this year, the last Major I won was in 2014. I never heard of Scottie Scheffler then.
'These talents and these players just keep coming and keep getting better each and every generation.
"You have to adapt your game to make sure that you're able to hang with those guys.
'I feel like I'm one generation ahead of Scottie, who is still in his 20s.
'So I have to constantly ask myself, 'Is there something that I need to add to my repertoire to stay ahead?'
'I've been winning pro events for 16 years and retaining my drive to keep getting a little bit better. That's a big piece of staying competitive.'
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‘I just want to have my best result in a Major and go from there': Tom McKibbin on his hopes for the Open
‘I just want to have my best result in a Major and go from there': Tom McKibbin on his hopes for the Open

Irish Times

timean hour ago

  • Irish Times

‘I just want to have my best result in a Major and go from there': Tom McKibbin on his hopes for the Open

The lad strolled the fairways without a care in the world or so it seemed. Tom McKibbin was in good company, for sure. Darren Clarke, the elder, and Rory McIlroy , the master, completed a threeball that crossed the generation game with stories to tale and yet more to create. For McKibbin, this 153rd Open on the Dunluce championship links at Royal Portrush is yet another opportunity to progress a career that has seen him, even at 22 years of age, win on the DP World Tour before making the move to LIV Golf where he has settled in well, his fourth place finish in Valderrama last weekend following up a fifth-place finish in Dallas to show some good form at just the right time. McKibbin is from Belfast and, like McIlroy, learned his craft at Holywood Golf Club, but has also been a member of Royal Portrush for the past 10 years. Wisely he has tapped into Clarke's knowledge of the links in the build-up. Clarke was the one who suggested playing some practice rounds in advance of The Open. McKibbin did not need to be asked twice. READ MORE 'I work with a coach that coaches Darren as well and we had always been planning to get a little bit of a training camp for a couple of days together. He was at home, I was at home, so it made sense to go come up for a couple days and get out on the course while it was nice and quiet. I got to pick his brains for two days,' McKibbin said. This is only McKibbin's second appearance in The Open – he made the cut last year at Royal Troon – and only a fourth appearance in the Majors (he also made the cut at last year's US Open and this year's US PGA). He has looked at home in this elite company. 'I played three of them before, and I've played nicely. I think if I can just keep getting better at every one of them ... I definitely want to try and finish the highest that I have out of the four. But my game feels good. Hopefully I can continue the nice sort of form that I've had over the last couple of events and wherever that is at the end of the week I know that I'll have given it my best.' Strange as it may seem, given his fine amateur career, McKibbin – for one reason or another – was never around to play in the North of Ireland Championship on the course. His only competitive appearance was in the British Boys. And when the 2019 Open was staged here, McKibbin only watched on television as he was in Ohio competing in the US Junior Championships. Tom McKibbin: 'It's nice to see my game translate into some nice scores.' Photograph: Ben Brady/INPHO 'Once they announced it was going to come back, it was a big, big goal of mine to get back here and get playing in it,' McKibbin said. His route to the here and now has been a quick one after turning professional in 2021 at 18. McKibbin's win in the Porsche European Open in 2023 showcased his talent and he earned his exemption into this Open through his ranking on last season's DP World Tour order of merit, which enabled him to put it in his schedule from the get-go without the need to look at any other qualifying routes. 'My game feels good. It was very nice at the start of the year, and then towards the middle things just weren't going my way. I felt like I was playing quite nicely, but I couldn't really get the score together. The last couple of weeks have been nice. I finished fifth in Dallas and then fourth last week on two very challenging golf courses, so it's nice to see my game, how it felt like it was playing, translate into some nice scores and post a couple of nice finishes.' Of the challenge ahead on a course he knows well, McKibbin said: 'It's a very good golf course, very demanding off the tee. It's quite strategic. There's bunkers in play no matter what club you decide to take off the tee. The greens are very slopey for links golf, especially with how slow they are [running at 10 on the stimp]. It's hard to see the breaks. I think very demanding. 'I mean, we played early today, and I'm not sure if this is normally the wind at this time or that time of the morning, because it seemed to be the opposite direction that I've normally used to play it in. I'm not sure if that's just a freak day or that changes sort of morning, day, afternoon, but that made it, the first five or six holes, definitely a little bit trickier. I think it's going to be a great test. As I said, there's bunkers everywhere, some patchy rough that can be quite challenging, just off the fairway.' No doubt there will be a sense of expectation once he heads to the first tee given the welcome that he can expect from the galleries. The support shown in the practice days has given a hint of what is yet to come his way. What of his own expectations? 'It's something that's so hard to say. I mean, with the weather and conditions links golf can bring, it's very hard to set expectations or whatever. You sort of have to just go with the flow really, take what you're given and go out there and try and handle that the best you can. I just want to have my best result in a Major and go from there.'

Inside the feud between golf rivals Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau as pair fight for The Open at Royal Portrush
Inside the feud between golf rivals Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau as pair fight for The Open at Royal Portrush

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

Inside the feud between golf rivals Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau as pair fight for The Open at Royal Portrush

THE simmering feud between golf rivals Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau is about to be turned up at this week's Open. The superstars from opposite sides of the Atlantic are set to collide on the course at Royal Portrush. Advertisement 5 Bryson DeChambeau is gunning for the Claret Jug Credit: Reuters 5 Rory McIlroy is one of the favourites for The Open Credit: Shutterstock Editorial And with the Ryder Cup in New York fast approaching this autumn , there will be more fireworks to come. The rivalry has yet to explode into all-out animosity. But there is a growing sense of tension between the two protagonists - USA v Europe; the PGA Tour v LIV Golf; the artist v the scientist. The friction first became apparent during the US Open last year, when McIlroy's dramatic collapse over the closing holes opened the door for DeChambeau to win. The man from Northern Ireland reportedly left the course without stopping to congratulate DeChambeau, only doing so on Instagram a day later. Advertisement read more in golf Things soured even further in December last year, when they met in Las Vegas for the Showdown, which saw McIlroy team up with PGA Tour , to take on DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka from LIV. The pair met on the range before the event and McIlroy told a TV crew: 'I'd like to go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the US Open.' And DeChambeau replied: 'Well, to be fair, you kinda did it to yourself.' McIlroy is thought to have been upset by the quip, which was considered cruel. Advertisement Most read in Golf BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The duo then played alongside together in the last pairing of the final round of the Masters in April this year. McIlroy famously won in a play-off over history . DeChambeau later gave a sparky response when asked how Rory had coped, saying: 'No idea, he didn't talk to me once all day.' Advertisement McIlroy later fired back: 'I don't know what he was expecting. We're trying to win the Masters. I'm not going to try to be his best mate out there.' Rory McIlroy explains haircut at Scottish Open Their rivalry is not yet up there with Ali v Frazier, but it is not going away. The two are both among the richest and most successful stars of their sport. McIlroy's Masters triumph completed the Grand Slam of all four majors and took him to 44 professional wins, including five major championships. Advertisement DeChambeau has managed 14 professional victories, which includes two major titles. 5 McIlroy filed for divorce after seven years with Erica Credit: Getty Images - Getty 5 McIlroy won the Masters after a whirlwind 12 months that saw him call off his divorce from wife Erica Stoll Credit: Getty As a result of their achievements on the course, McIlroy's net worth is estimated to £260m, while DeChambeau has around £145m. Advertisement McIlroy owns multiple luxurious properties the world, including a Florida mansion, a house in La Quinta, California mansion, an estate in Northern Ireland , and apartments in New York and Dubai . He also has a new mansion being custom made on the exclusive Wentworth estate in Surrey . Inside Rory McIlroy's whirlwind love life RORY MCILROY enjoyed a high-profile romance with former tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki before their split in 2014. The following year, the golf ace began dating Erica Stoll, who he had first met on the PGA Tour in 2011. Erica often interacted with players through her role as the PGA's manager of championship volunteer operations. She even prevented McIlroy from missing his tee time at the 2012 Ryder Cup after some confusion over the time zone. The incident began a firm friendship between the pair, four years before their relationship turned romantic. McIlroy and Erica were spotted on a string of dates in Rochester, New York, in the early days of their relationship. Just eight months later, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017. The pair then welcomed daughter Poppy into the world three years later. Throughout their time together, McIlroy and Erica have kept their relationship to themselves, with the golfer keen to protect his family from the cameras during filming of Netflix's Full Swing documentary series. However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy filed for divorce from Erica. The reasons for the divorce were not disclosed, but the Northern Irishman submitted documents to a court in Florida. However, a few weeks later, performed a U-turn on their decision to divorce. McIlroy told the outlet: "Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.' DeChambeau recently sold his swanky mansion in Texas to move into another in the same area. He is rumoured to be dating Lilia Schneider, a college golfer from ndianapolis. They have been pictured sharing a buggy at a LIV event. Advertisement DeChambeau had previously dated another college golfer, Hunter Nugent, but she revealed that they had parted in 2022 and that Schneider was now with the American. He also used to date swimwear line with La Isla for a 'large cup' bikini wearer. 5 Sophia Phalen Bertolami launched a range of bikinis Credit: Instagram @sophiaandstella McIlroy's love life is equally complicated. Advertisement Last year his marriage to wife Erica Stoll looked to be over as they prepared to divorce , before a surprise change of heart and Before that, he spent three years with Danish tennis beauty In 2014, McIlroy was romantically linked with Meghan Markle, before she married Prince Harry. The pair flirted in a video shared on social media, as he helped her take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral trend adopted by many celebs to raise money for ALS. Advertisement Who are golf's most famous Wags? The world's top golfers enjoy an incredible lifestyle - and their Wags lead thrilling lives of their own. Here are some of the most high-profile beauties... This The A Master golfer raced home from his most recent triumph to be by his wife's side as she gave birth to their first child. An athlete who A Playing off a handicap of three, this This A

Open tee-off times: Two-time champion Pádraig Harrington starts first at Portrush on Thursday with rookie Tom McKibbin
Open tee-off times: Two-time champion Pádraig Harrington starts first at Portrush on Thursday with rookie Tom McKibbin

Irish Independent

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

Open tee-off times: Two-time champion Pádraig Harrington starts first at Portrush on Thursday with rookie Tom McKibbin

After Darren Clarke got the honour in 2019, 2007 and 2008 champion Harrington will hit the first tee shot at 6:35am this week, insisting he will be 'posing no matter where the ball goes". Northern Ireland native McKibbin (22) will be third off the tee in just his second appearance in The Open. 'I'm relishing it big time,' McKibbin said of his fourth major start. 'I experienced it a little bit at the Irish Open. But I think this will be even bigger. 'It's just super cool to see people cheering you on and shouting your name. It takes you aback a little bit from where I wasn't even a pro and when I was last here. So to be here and playing and having the crowd supporting is awesome.' Clarke will tee off with American Davis Riley and Australia's Lucas Herbert at 7:52am, but there's also a stellar draw for 2019 champion Shane Lowry alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler and 2021 winner Collin Morikawa at 10:09am. Rory McIlroy is one of the big favourites to win this week will go off with Justin Thomas and 2019 runner-up Tommy Fleetwood at 3:10pm. Defending champion Xander Schauffele will go out just ahead of Lowry at 9:58am, with US Open champion JJ Spaun and fancied Spaniard Jon Rahm. Tee-times for first round of The Open 6.35: Pádraig Harrington (Ire), Nicolai Hojgaard (Den), Tom McKibbin (NI) 6.46: KJ Choi (Kor), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Louis Oosthuizen (SA) 6.57: Justin Hastings (Cay)*, Marco Penge (Eng), Cameron Smith (Aus) 7.08: Jason Day (Aus), Jacob Skov Olesen (Den), Taylor Pendrith (Can) ADVERTISEMENT 7.19: Phil Mickelson (US), Ryan Peake (Aus), Daniel van Tonder (SA) 7.30: Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Max Greyserman (US), Niklas Noergaard (Den) 7.41: Dustin Johnson (US), Haotong Li (Chn), Jordan Smith (Eng) 7.52: Darren Clarke (NI), Lucas Herbert (Aus), Davis Riley (US) 8.03: Mikiya Akutsu (Jpn), Julien Guerrier (Fra), Chun-An Yu (Tai) 8.14: Thomas Detry (Bel), Chris Gotterup (US), Lee Westwood (Eng) 8.25: Patrick Cantlay (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Cameron Young (US) 8.36: Filip Jakubcik (Cze)*, Matthew Jordan (Eng), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 8.47: Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Sebastian Soederberg (Swe), Henrik Stenson (Swe) 9.03: Martin Couvra (Fra), Kristoffer Reitan (Nor), Adrien Saddier (Fra) 9.14: Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Bryan Newman (SA)*, Justin Walters (SA) 9.25: Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Ryan Fox (NZ), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 9.36: Akshay Bhatia (US), Ben Griffin (US), Sepp Straka (Aut) 9.47: Sam Burns (US), Brooks Koepka (US), Aldrich Potgieter (SA) 9.58: Jon Rahm (Spa), Xander Schauffele (US), JJ Spaun (US) 10.09: Shane Lowry (Ire), Collin Morikawa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US) 10.20: Wyndham Clark (US), Corey Conners (Can), Tom Hoge (US) 10.31: Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Denny McCarthy (US), Patrick Reed (US) 10.42: Ryggs Johnston (US), Matthias Schmid (Ger), Richard Teder (Est)* 10.53: John Axelsen (Den), Darren Fichardt (SA), Dylan Naidoo (SA) 11.04: Oliver Lindell (Fin), Jesper Sandborg (Swe), Justin Suh (US) 11.15: Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha), Riki Kawamoto (Jpn), Sampson Zheng (Chn) 11.26: Stewart Cink (US), Marc Leishman (Aus), Matteo Manassero (Ita) 11.47: Connor Graham (Sco)*, Francesco Molinari (Ita), Jesper Svensson (Swe) 11.58: Daniel Brown (Eng), Daniel Hillier (NZ), Zach Johnson (US) 12.09: Ethan Fang (US)*, Rickie Fowler (US), Adam Scott (Aus) 12.20: Laurie Canter (Eng), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Elvis Smylie (Aus) 12.31: Andrew Novak (US), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Matt Wallace (Eng) 12.42: Dean Burmester (SA), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Davis Thompson (US) 12.53: Sebastian Cave (Eng)*, Shugo Imahira (Jpn), Si-Woo Kim (Kor) 13.04: Bud Cauley (US), Michael Kim (US), John Parry (Eng) 13.15: Angel Hidalgo (Spa), Matt McCarty (US), Shaun Norris (SA) 13.26: Daniel Berger (US), Keegan Bradley (US), Sung-Jae Im (Kor) 13.37: Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Rasmus Hoejgaard (Den), Romain Langasque (Fra) 13.48: Harry Hall (Eng), Aaron Rai (Eng), Sahith Theegala (US) 14.04: Thriston Lawrence (SA), Justin Leonard (US), Antoine Rozner (Fra) 14.15: Chris Kirk (US), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), JT Poston (US) 14.26: Brian Harman (US), Maverick McNealy (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi) 14.37: Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Russell Henley (US), Min-Woo Lee (Aus) 14.48: Bryson DeChambeau (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Justin Rose (Eng) 14.59: Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Viktor Hovland (Nor), Jordan Spieth (US) 15.10: Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Rory McIlroy (NI), Justin Thomas (US) 15.21: Harris English (US), Tony Finau (US), Nick Taylor (Can) 15.32: Lucas Glover (US), Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven) 15.43: Brian Campbell (US), John Catlin (US), Frazer Jones (Eng)* 15.54: Cameron Adam (Sco)*, Nathan Kimsey (Eng), Jason Kokrak (US) 16.05: Curtis Knipes (Eng), Curtis Luck (Aus), Daniel Young (Sco) 16.16: George Bloor (Eng), OJ Farrell (Eng), Young-Han Song (Kor) * denotes amateur

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