Latest news with #careergrandslam
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
McIlroy vows ‘the story isn't over' as he revels in Royal Portrush support at the Open
Rory McIlroy has promised to revel in the Northern Irish love during the Open Championship this week, with the 36-year-old also warning fellow competitors that he has regained focus after claiming the Masters in April. 'The story certainly isn't over,' he insisted. McIlroy has returned to Royal Portrush for the first time since 2019, when he admitted the scale of ovation on the Open's first tee contributed to him whacking his ball out of bounds. He later missed the cut. Attention in the coming days promises to be even more intense, given his Masters win meant he became only the sixth golfer in history to complete a career grand slam. 'I think in '19 I probably tried to isolate,' McIlroy said on Monday. 'I think it's better for everyone if I embrace it. I think it's better for me. 'It's nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times. But it's also nice for the person that is seeing you for the first time in a few years. It just makes for a better interaction and not trying to hide away from it. 'I think it's more of, embrace everything that's going to come my way this week and not try to shy away from it or hide away from it. I think that'll make for a better experience for everyone involved.' McIlroy was asked unsurprisingly to reflect on the first hole, six years ago, where he slumped to a quadruple‑bogey eight. He said: 'The walk to the first tee and then that ovation, I was a little surprised and a little taken aback, like: 'Geez, these people really want me to win.' I think that brought its own sort of pressure and more internally from myself, not really wanting to let people down. It's just something I didn't mentally prepare for that day or that week. 'I learned pretty quickly that one of my challenges, especially in a week like this, is controlling myself and controlling that battle. I talked about it at the Masters on that last day. The battle on that last day wasn't with Augusta National. It wasn't with Bryson DeChambeau. It wasn't with Justin Rose. The battle that day was with myself.' It certainly appears as if McIlroy has found an appropriate level of motivation. After only four hours of sleep, he played 18 Portrush holes first thing on Monday morning. McIlroy openly challenged the sense he will compete in the 153rd Open without any pressure, an event he had circled on the calendar at the start of 2025. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'I've done something that I've told everyone that I wanted to do,' McIlroy said. 'But I still feels like I have a lot more to give. Anyone that sits up here at this table, we're all competitors. We all want to do better. We all think we can just get a little bit extra out of what we have. The BBC has secured a last-minute deal to show an early evening highlights programme from The Open Championship in Portrush this week. The Guardian has learned that the R&A has agreed a new three-year deal with the BBC for highlights for the Open, which also covers the women's Championship, starting with the 2025 edition at Royal Porthcawl at the end of the month. The BBC's late move comes as a surprise and is a boost for the R&A and golf fans, as the corporation has shown little interest in the sport in recent years. A long-term contract for live rights to the Open was terminated a year early by the BBC in 2016, with Sky Sports taking over live coverage, and while they have shown highlights since then they had opted not to renew a contract that expired last year. The Rory McIlroy factor may have played a role in the BBC's decision to make a late bid, with the reigning Masters champion playing on his home course in Northern Ireland likely to boost interest amongst casual fans. BBC Sport sources have expressed the belief that they made an error of judgment in not attempting to show highlights of the Masters this year, with coverage of McIlroy's triumph at Augusta only available to viewers with Sky Sports. The Open is a more attractive property for the BBC however, due to the Championship's earlier finishing times in this country, which should deliver a bigger audience. As a result this week's highlights programmes are due to be shown at 9pm on Thursday and Friday before starting at 10pm on Saturday and Sunday. The R&A and BBC did not comment, but an announcement is expected in the next few days. Matt Hughes 'It's been an amazing year. The fact that I'm here at Portrush with the Green Jacket, having completed that lifelong dream, I want to do my best this week to enjoy everything that comes my way and enjoy the reaction of the fans and enjoy being in front of them and playing in front of them. But at the same time, I want to win this golf tournament and I feel like I'm very capable of doing that. 'I try to go about my business. I try to give the best of myself every time I'm out there. It's amounted to some pretty nice things so far. I still feel like there's a lot left in there.'
National Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Complicated Rory McIlroy searching for renewal at Royal Portrush in The Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The previous time Rory McIlroy played an Open Championship at Royal Portrush, it was too much to handle. Article content After a disastrous eight on the opening hole of the first round in 2019, the moment ended before it had even begun for the hometown hero. Article content Article content Six years later, and once again in his backyard in Northern Ireland, it all makes a little more sense because, despite opposite circumstances, a similar thing seems to have happened to McIlroy in the weeks following his win at the Masters in April. Article content After becoming just the sixth golfer to win all four men's major championships, it has been strange times for Rory. When you've dedicated much of your life to a seemingly impossible quest — twice as many men have been to the moon than have won the career grand slam — fulfillment can be a terrifying thing. Article content In 2019 at Portrush, he almost burst into tears at the level of support he received in this town of his childhood before, during, and after the calamitous Thursday round of 79. Article content Article content After this year's Masters, he has seemed genuinely lost trying to figure out what's next for him. Article content In both instances one can be compelled to wonder: Where does the mind go when the chase is over and everything you dreamed of is in your hands? Article content Much has been written and debated during the past two majors trying to answer the question of what's wrong with Rory McIlroy? Because for a man just weeks removed from achieving his lifelong dream, he seemed unusually miserable. Article content 'I think everyone could see over the last couple of months how I struggled with that,' the Northern Irish star said on Monday about resetting his goals. 'I've done something that I've told everyone that I wanted to do, but then it's like I still feel like I have a lot more to give.' Article content Article content Those are the dueling emotions McIlroy appears to be dealing with. Apologies to the entire island of Ireland, but Rory seems to have reached the end of the rainbow and discovered there's no pot of gold. Article content Article content Of course, there is every chance that things are going on in his life that the media and public aren't privy to. But having spoken with him at the Canadian Open and listened to every word he has said publicly since, it's hard not to get the feeling that he has been asking himself whether this is as good as it gets, and wondering why it doesn't feel better. Article content 'That's the nature of professional golf. They do a very good job of keeping you on the hamster wheel and you feel like it's hard to get off at times,' he said. Article content For the past 18 years, McIlroy has been living his dream as a professional golfer. But within that, there had always been the ultimate dream to be the world's best golfer and his stated childhood dream to win all four majors.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
McIlroy vows ‘the story isn't over' as he revels in Royal Portrush support for the Open
Rory McIlroy has promised to revel in the Northern Irish love during this week's Open Championship, with the 36-year-old also warning fellow competitors he has regained focus after claiming the Masters in April. 'The story certainly isn't over,' McIlroy insisted. McIlroy has returned to Royal Portrush for the first time since 2019, when he admitted the scale of ovation on the Open's first tee contributed to him whacking his ball out of bounds. He later missed the cut. Attention in the coming days promises to be even more intense, given his Masters win meant he became only the sixth golfer in history to complete a career grand slam. 'I think in '19 I probably tried to isolate,' McIlroy said on Monday. 'I think it's better for everyone if I embrace it. I think it's better for me. It's nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times. But it's also nice for the person that is seeing you for the first time in a few years. It just makes for a better interaction and not trying to hide away from it. I think it's more of, embrace everything that's going to come my way this week and not try to shy away from it or hide away from it. I think that'll make for a better experience for everyone involved.' McIlroy was unsurprisingly asked to reflect on the first hole, six years ago, where he slumped to a quadruple bogey eight. He said: 'The walk to the first tee and then that ovation, I was a little surprised and a little taken aback, like 'Geez, these people really want me to win.' I think that brought its own sort of pressure and more internally from myself, not really wanting to let people down. It's just something I didn't mentally prepare for that day or that week. 'I learned pretty quickly that one of my challenges, especially in a week like this, is controlling myself and controlling that battle. I talked about it at the Masters on that last day. The battle on that last day wasn't with Augusta National. It wasn't with Bryson DeChambeau. It wasn't with Justin Rose. The battle that day was with myself.' It certainly appears as if McIlroy has found an appropriate level of motivation. After only four hours of sleep, he played 18 Portrush holes first thing on Monday morning. McIlroy openly challenged the sense he will compete in the 153rd Open without any pressure, an event he had circled on the calendar at the start of 2025. The BBC has secured a last-minute deal to show an early evening highlights programme from The Open Championship in Portrush this week. The Guardian has learned that the R&A has agreed a new three-year deal with the BBC for highlights for the Open, which also covers the women's Championship, starting with the 2025 edition at Royal Porthcawl at the end of the month. The BBC's late move comes as a surprise and is a boost for the R&A and golf fans, as the corporation has shown little interest in the sport in recent years. A long-term contract for live rights to the Open was terminated a year early by the BBC in 2016, with Sky Sports taking over live coverage, and while they have shown highlights since then they had opted not to renew a contract that expired last year. The Rory McIlroy factor may have played a role in the BBC's decision to make a late bid, with the reigning Masters champion playing on his home course in Northern Ireland likely to boost interest amongst casual fans. BBC Sport sources have expressed the belief that they made an error of judgment in not attempting to show highlights of the Masters this year, with coverage of McIlroy's triumph at Augusta only available to viewers with Sky Sports. The Open is a more attractive property for the BBC however, due to the Championship's earlier finishing times in this country, which should deliver a bigger audience. As a result this week's highlights programmes are due to be shown at 9pm on Thursday and Friday before starting at 10pm on Saturday and Sunday. The R&A and BBC did not comment, but an announcement is expected in the next few days. Matt Hughes 'I've done something that I've told everyone that I wanted to do,' McIlroy said. 'But I still feel like I have a lot more to give. Anyone that sits up here at this table, we're all competitors. We all want to do better. We all think we can just get a little bit extra out of what we have. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'It's been an amazing year. The fact that I'm here at Portrush with the Green Jacket, having completed that lifelong dream, I want to do my best this week to enjoy everything that comes my way and enjoy the reaction of the fans and enjoy being in front of them and playing in front of them. But at the same time, I want to win this golf tournament and I feel like I'm very capable of doing that. 'I try to go about my business. I try to give the best of myself every time I'm out there. It's amounted to some pretty nice things so far. I still feel like there's a lot left in there.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘It would mean a little bit more': McIlroy returns to Europe with eyes on Open tilt
While it is likely that for Rory McIlroy nothing will ever top the euphoria of Augusta National in April, victory at an Open Championship staged in Northern Ireland could at least come close. McIlroy's return to Europe for the Scottish Open is notable in itself as his first playing appearance on this continent since claiming the career grand slam, but next week and Royal Portrush looms large. McIlroy has revelled in the appearance of his homeland in the positive sporting spotlight after decades dominated by The Troubles. 'I think it's a great representation of how far Northern Ireland has come in the last 30 or 40 years,' said McIlroy. 'In the 70s, the 80s and the 90s, no one would have dreamed of hosting an Open Championship in Northern Ireland. So it's a testament to the people of Northern Ireland for how far we as a country have come. 'I think my generation couldn't care less about what had happened in the past. Everyone's just looking forward. My mum and dad both grew up in the 60s and the 70s and Northern Ireland was a very different place. I feel very fortunate that I'm of the generation that I am that I didn't have to deal with any of that or very little of it. 'It has come a long, long way. People really appreciate when a huge sporting event that the world's eyes are on that week happens. Everyone there really appreciates that and excited to show the country in the best light possible.' McIlroy will have a particular score to settle when he returns to the Antrim coast. In 2019, during the Open's first Portrush staging since 1951, a disastrous first round contributed towards him missing the cut. He rallied in round two with the backing of vociferous support but fell short. The 36-year-old will know there will not be many more Portrush Open opportunities for him. 'If venues matter to you, it maybe puts a little bit more pressure on you,' McIlroy explained. 'I would love to win an Open at Portrush, absolutely. I would love to win an Open at St Andrews. I would love to win a US Open at Pebble Beach. There are venues in the game that just mean a little bit more. Having Portrush from home and the experience I had there last time … the Friday was amazing, the Thursday, not too much. 'It's a little like when [Novak] Djokovic won the Olympics last year: he knew that was doing to be his final chance, and you saw the emotion and you saw how much it meant to him. You think about it, and you can't pretend that it's not there. But when you are on the course, you just have to go out there and play as if you're not playing at home and just play as if it's another tournament. It obviously is a little more emphasis. There's something extra there, just like there is at an Open at St Andrews or a US Open at Pebble Beach, for example.' First, Scotland. A stellar field at the Renaissance also includes the world No 1, Scottie Scheffler. Eight of the world's top 10 will tee up in East Lothian. McIlroy clearly relishes his trips back from his adopted home of Florida. 'The one thing I would say about the last couple of weeks is I felt like I could detach a little bit more and sort of hide,' McIlroy said. 'Sometimes you need that to completely get away. I feel like this world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it. 'There's a detachment from the sort of week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here, when you play PGA Tour golf for that sort of first 25, 30 weeks of the year. It's been lovely to get back and see some familiar faces.'
Telegraph
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Rory McIlroy: I didn't care if I made cut at US Open
Rory McIlroy's body language here at the 125th US Open Championship has screamed that he would rather be elsewhere and, after a third-round 74 on Saturday, he admitted that he was not sure whether he even wanted to make the cut. It was a stunning revelation from the world No 2, who just two months ago was in the clouds after finally winning the Masters, becoming only the sixth player in history to complete the career grand slam. And now? It sounds as if, as far as golf is concerned, he has gone directly from the Green Jacket into a straitjacket. When praised for the fight he showed on Friday after recovering from two early double-bogeys – not to mention a thrown club and a demolished tee marker – to qualify for the weekend, McIlroy shrugged his shoulders. 'It's funny, it's much easier being on the cut line when you don't really care if you're here for the weekend or not,' he said, after moving to 10 over and falling outside the top 50. 'I was sort of thinking: 'Do I really want two more days here or not?'' When pressed on what he is looking for from Sunday's final round, he replied: 'Hopefully, a round in under four-and-a-half hours and get out of here.' 'I have felt a little flat on the golf course' McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference that he has struggled for motivation since joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan in the exclusive clean-sweep club. 'You don't really know how it's going to affect you,' he reiterated on Saturday, after a round featuring six bogeys and two birdies. 'You don't know how you're going to react to such a… I wouldn't say a life-altering occasion, but at least something that I've dreamed about for a long time. Yeah, I have felt a little flat on the golf course afterwards.' McIlroy is nothing if not honest and his candour is a factor in why he is so popular with the press and, yes, the fans. This was the first time he had agreed to speak to the media after a major round since his Augusta glory. He refused to talk after all four rounds of the US PGA – where he also scraped inside the cut on his way to a tie for 47th – and then after the first two rounds here. McIlroy clearly has an issue with the scribblers and commentators, but would not reveal what it is. He acknowledged that the faux furore over his non-confirming driver at the US PGA – when his was the only name that was leaked after the clubs of at least nine fellow players had also failed routine testing – was 'part of it'. But he denied that his vows of silence have also been down to angst with his form. 'It's more a frustration with you guys,' he said. ' I don't know. I've been totally available for the last few years, and I'm not saying… maybe not you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing.' Of course, after the advent of LIV Golf in 2022, McIlroy carried the can for the opposition, becoming the voice of disapproval for the PGA Tour. Does he believe that stint as the de facto shop steward earned him the right now to be tight-lipped? 'I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do, yeah,' he said. McIlroy has previously noted that, unlike tennis, the pros are not mandated to carry out press duties after each match, or in this case, round. He insisted, however, that he wants this policy to remain. 'I'm not daring them [the golf authorities] to do anything,' McIlroy said. 'I hope they don't change it because it would, you know, this is a nice luxury to have.' Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel analyst, is just one expert who thinks McIlroy could be playing a dangerous game if this becomes the norm. 'In my view, Rory has been the best with the media over the last 15 years, which makes his refusal to talk after his rounds at the last two majors so puzzling,' Chamblee said. 'I think he is lithe enough to understand this is a bad long-term strategy. Fans are fickle. They are incredibly generous to those who give back to them and vicious to those who turn their backs on them. 'Given that Rory is one of the game's biggest leaders, him not talking has tricky normative implications, in my opinion. Why have past greats – Tiger [Woods] almost always talked, even after poor rounds – been so generous with the media? 'Perhaps it's out of a sense of duty, following a custom passed down to them by the players that came before them who understood that the debt you pay to those who elevated the game before you is by elevating the game for those who come after you.' That much might all be true, but McIlroy's biggest concern before The Open in his homeland at Royal Portrush is rediscovering his game. He is due to play in next week's Travelers Championship in Connecticut and will then tee it up at the Scottish Open, the week before his quest for a second Claret Jug. The good news is that he feels that his reversion to the TaylorMade Qi 10 driver for this event was the right step. 'I've driven the ball as good as I have in a long time, so that's at least a positive this week,' McIlroy said. For his many admirers, however, it must surely be worrying that the narrative surrounding this most natural of characters and talents has turned negative in such a bizarrely short amount of time. Paul McGinley, the former Ryder Cup captain who is a friend of his countryman, concurs. 'We thought that winning a major, winning the Masters, was going to unlock him,' McGinley said on Sky Sports. 'But it looks like it's burdened him more than anything else. His frustration is quite clear, and his game is nowhere near where it needs to be.'
