The 151st Open: Rory McIlroy says he’s ‘close as ever’ to end of major drought at Royal Liverpool
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Rory McIlroy achieved a series of remarkable victories during his prime in golf. He clinched the US Open title in 2011 and followed it up with victories at the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014. Notably, in that same year, he secured the Open Championship title as well. However, despite these impressive wins, McIlroy has been unable to replicate the same level of success since then. As he prepares for his upcoming endeavors, it's noteworthy that McIlroy is set to participate in the Scottish Open ahead of the 151st Open Championship, scheduled to take place at Royal Liverpool from July 20th to 23rd. Golf enthusiasts can catch both these tournaments live on Sky Sports Golf, anticipating exciting performances from McIlroy and his fellow competitors.
2.46pm, UK, Wednesday 12 July 2023
Rory McIlroy insists he won’t get carried away with expectations for him to end his nine-year winless drought at The 151st Open next week.
McIlroy is among the pre-tournament favorites for the last men’s major of the year, live exclusively on Sky Sportsas The Open returns to Royal Liverpool for the first time since the Northern Irishman completed the third leg of his career Grand Slam in 2014.
The former world No. 1 produced a wire-to-wire win at Hoylake and added the PGA Championship a month later, but has since been unable to add to his four majors, despite posting 19 major top- 10 during that time.
The wait is almost over for the last men’s major of the year, with 24-hour coverage from the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool live from 20-23 July on Sky Sports Golf
“I sort of dealt with it [expectation] in Augusta this year,” McIlroy said Sky Sports. "I believed my game was in excellent condition, yet I couldn't deliver what was necessary during the initial days, and that was truly disheartening."
“I believe I gained valuable insights from that experience and simply participating in a golf tournament. 72 holes is a lot of time. A lot can happen. It’s a journey. It’s a journey of getting into the competition and being there on a Sunday afternoon, and there that’s a lot of shots to hit and a lot of golf to play.
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"Surpassing yourself is the worst thing you can do in this game."
McIlroy missed the cut at The Masters in April but has finished in the top seven in his last five world starts, including runners-up at the US Open last month, with the 34-year-old aiming to capitalize on the near miss there and at The Opened last summer in St Andrews.
"I'm actually closer than ever to winning another major," McIlroy added. My consistency, especially in the majors over the last couple of years, is much better than it has been in recent years.
See how Rory McIlroy missed first major in nine years after missing a shot at US Open at Los Angeles Country Club
“I’m really happy with that, but at the same time, I had a really good chance in St Andrews and I had a really good chance in Los Angeles a few weeks ago.
"It's evident that I need to consistently place myself in such scenarios. Repeatedly going through these moments and accumulating that experience, even if victories elude me, will be a constant companion every time I face similar opportunities."
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McIlroy returns to action this week at the Genesis Scottish Open, an event he sat out in 2022, with the world No. 3 looking to use the co-sanctioned event as competitive preparation ahead of next week’s major.
“I participated in four consecutive weeks of play and subsequently had a two-week break, during which I dedicated the entirety of the first week to complete rest," McIlroy explained. “I didn’t touch a club for a while after those four weeks.
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Rory McIlroy is part of a strong field in Scotland where eight of the world’s top 10 are featured
“I just think to have some competitive golf under your belt, have a scorecard in hand and play. It’s not pure links in this place, but it’s linky enough conditions that at least you’re playing with some breeze and you’re maybe you are getting some images that you would get in a link course.
“All of these preparations will undoubtedly bode well as we look ahead to next week and the Open. But it’s still a great tournament and I can sort of score points on both sides of the pond looking further ahead to the end of the year for the FedExCup and Race to Dubai and everything in between. I think this week serves several purposes.”
Tune in to watch the Genesis Scottish Open live on Sky Sports throughout the entire week. Live coverage begins on Thursday with featured groups from 8am onwards Sky Sports Golf, in view of full coverage from 12:30. The Open is then live from July 20-23 onwards Sky Sports Golf.