Rory McIlroy is excited to get back to Europe soon and get himself feeling ‘refreshed and rejuvenated’ ahead of The Open.
McIlroy has suffered an alarming slump after claiming Masters and Grand Slam glory back in April.
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McIlroy is looking forward to getting back to Europe soonCredit: Getty
After joining golf’s elite with his stunning victory at Augusta, the Northern Irishman has struggled for form, seemingly playing with a lack of motivation.
He finished T47 at the PGA Championship and only just made the cut at the US Open, cutting a frustrated figure on the course in recent weeks.
After an angry and abrupt first showing of the week in front of the media on Saturday, McIlroy was more upbeat after his final round and says he still has plenty to look forward to this summer.
He is set to move into a newly refurbished mansion in Wentworth before starring at the Scottish Open and The Open in the coming weeks.
This year’s Open Championship is being held at Royal Portrush, a course McIlroy grew up playing and somewhere he would dearly love to win at as a professional.
Following his final round 67 at Oakmont, McIlroy admitted he needs ‘another mountain to climb’ post-Masters win and Portrush may provide the perfect challenge to target next.
He said: “I’m looking forward to just getting back to Europe in general.
“Obviously I’ve got one more week over here. Play Hartford next week [for the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour].
“We’ve got a lot to look forward to, got our new house in London, play the Scottish [Open] and then obviously The Open at Portrush.
“Just trying to get myself in the right frame of mind to approach that.
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McIlroy has had a tough week on and off the course at the US OpenCredit: Getty
“I feel like playing an Open at Portrush already and sort of at least remembering what those feelings were like and those feelings that I was probably unprepared for at the time.
“It will be my first time sort of in public back home after winning the Masters. It should be a really nice week.
“I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb.
“An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those.
“If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me. I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven’t been there the last few weeks.
“But as I said, getting home and having a couple weeks off before that, hopefully feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, will get me in the right place again.”
McIlroy missed the cut when Royal Portrush last held The Open in 2019.
He hit a disastrous quadruple bogey on the first hole of that tournament in an opening round 79.
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McIlroy won The Open in 2011Credit: Getty – Contributor
While he did record a stunning 65 on the Friday, it was not enough to make the weekend.
He’ll now hope to find some much-needed form at the Travelers Championship next week, a signature event on the PGA Tour, before he heads back over the Atlantic.
McIlroy won the Scottish Open at Renaissance Club in 2023 and will enjoy returning to North Berwick.
The 153rd Open Championship will then be held at Royal Portrush from July 17 to 20.
The final major of the year is just 65 miles from where McIlroy grew up playing at Holywood.
He added: “Hopefully I can celebrate with them on Sunday night with the Claret Jug and the green jacket.
“It will be amazing to go home and play in that atmosphere and see a lot of people that I still haven’t seen yet. I’m really looking forward to it.
“It was nice to end this week with a bit of a positive note with the way I played today, and yeah, I’ll just be looking forward to and trying to get myself prepared for Portrush.”
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Robert MacIntyre will also be confident of Open glory after he fell just short in his bid to win the US Open after JJ Spaun broke his heart with a dazzling display at the death.
Spaun sank a mammoth 64-foot putt on the 18th green to seal glory and avoid a potential Monday play-off with MacIntyre following the Scot’s excellent two-under-par 68 on the final day.
There was a moment of class from MacIntyre caught on TV too.
As Spaun celebrated his wild winning putt, MacIntyre was spotted watching on the TV, applauding his rival and letting out a huge ‘wow’.
While being the clubhouse leader, MacIntyre said: “I’m delighted with the way I played.
“I got off to a rough start, I didn’t start the way I wanted to. I’ve been working so hard on staying patient, got my reward on four.
“I was watching the leaderboard all day and no one was getting away.
“It was dig in, dig in, dig in. I took a few chances, left a few out there, but I’m in the clubhouse. Let’s wait and see.”
While it wasn’t to be for ‘Bob’ at Oakmont, he’ll now relish the upcoming Scottish Open and the final major of the summer.
