Rory McIlroy more at peace with his mind and his game on return to Royal Portrush

McIlroy is encouraged by how's he played in his last two starts, including finishing tied for second at last week's Scottish Open. 

When he looked ahead to 2025, The Open at Royal Portrush was a tournament Rory McIlroy looked forward to even more so than The Masters. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.

It’s become de rigeur to parse every syllable, every tilt of the head and shrug of the shoulders, when Rory McIlroy holds court. Somehow, this hasn’t changed much, if at all, since he completed his career Grand Slam at Augusta in April.

The 36-year-old has struggled to centre himself since achieving that lifetime ambition at the Masters and, of course, his decision to swerve more than a few media duties since sent the association of amateur psychologists and the body language industry into tailspins.