"It's nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times," Rory McIlroy said of his return to Royal Portrush for the British Open.

Rory McIlroy won The Masters in April to complete the career Grand Slam and now searches for a sixth major title; McIlroy missed the cut when The Open was last held at Royal Portrush in 2019; Watch ex

As a 16-year-old at the 2005 North of Ireland Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush, Rory McIlroy shot a course record 61. That was the old course, before redesign. It's a course he recognizes only parts of now.

Rory McIlroy grew up in Northern Ireland and learned to play golf at Holywood Golf Club. The club began offering the Rory McIlroy Tour in April.

Two decades before Rory McIlroy’s career-defining triumph, when he finally conquered his Masters demons with an emotional rollercoaster of a win at Augusta National, he did, in fact, already own a green jacket.