McIlroy needs to avoid the freaky Friday feeling

Rory McIlroy feels as prepared as he ever has going into an Open Championship but it will be how he readies himself mentally for Friday’s second round that will determine whether he lifts the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool on Sunday.

Bad stretches of holes in a round and outright horror shows on a Friday have proved McIlroy’s undoing on too many occasions for his comfort, both this season and in Majors past, be it a second-round 80 at St Andrews in the 2010 Open or a 78 at the same point in this year’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.

The most recent Friday fright came at last week’s Scottish Open, when having set the course record at Royal Aberdeen on day one with an opening 64, McIlroy rolled up 24 hours later and carded a 78 over the same track.