Latest news with #RoyalPortrush
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Rory McIlroy tunes up for Open with his second lowest round of year
Rory McIlroy shot his joint-second lowest round of the year on Thursday as he made a morale-boosting start to his build-up for next month's emotional Northern Ireland homecoming at The Open. The world No 2 described his 64 in the first round of the Travelers Championship as 'a tonic' and after last week's torment at the US Open – and indeed his on-course struggles since winning the Masters in April – it is easy to understand why. On Saturday at Oakmont he confessed that he had not really cared if he made the cut at the year's third major and that his aim in the final round was simply to play in 'a round in under 4½ hours and get out of here'. In the event, he fired a fine 67 on the Sunday to achieve a back-door place in the top 20 and afterwards spoke of his eagerness to return across the pond. McIlroy is due next week to move into a new home at Wentworth with wife Erica and daughter Poppy, before playing in the Scottish Open, the week before he tees it up at Royal Portrush. At the Ulster links, just an hour north of Holywood, his hometown suburb in Belfast, he will show off the Green Jacket to his countryfolk for the first time before trying to lift his second Claret Jug. McIlroy now feels confident of making that trip on a high. 'This is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it's a slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn't quite as severe,' he said. 'I just want to see some good golf and see some better shots. If you concentrate on that and you're concentrating on your quality of golf and concentrating on just trying to play to the best of your ability, the result will take care of itself. I'm just trying to play as good as I can and make good swings, and if I do that enough, more than likely I'll find myself in a position to have a chance to win.' McIlroy's bogeyless morning at TPC River Highlands – which gave him an early share of second, two behind clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat – featured six birdies, the highlight of which was probably the three on the par-four 17th. There, after pulling his drive towards trouble, he nervelessly flew the lake guarding the green from 175 yards, before holing from 28 feet. What made his effort in Connecticut all the more commendable was the fact that, for once, he was not the star of the show. His playing partner was US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who also posted a 64. 'There was definitely a lot more 'Captain America' and 'USA' chants out there, which is cool,' McIlroy said. 'It's cool for Keegan to be here, be the US Ryder Cup captain and get all that support.' Another on six-under is former US Open champion Wyndham Clark. The American earned his own negative headlines at Oakmont after causing damage in the locker room when in a rage over missing the cut. Clark offered an apology on Thursday but his comments also raised a few eyebrows. 'I made a mistake that I deeply regret – I'm very sorry for what happened,' he said. 'But I'd also like to move on, not only for myself but for Oakmont, for the USGA [the US Golf Association, which organises the US Open], and kind of focus on the rest of this year.'
BreakingNews.ie
14 hours ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Rory McIlroy two shots off early clubhouse leader at Travelers Championship
Rory McIlroy made an impressive start to the Travelers Championship to sit two shots off the early clubhouse lead. The Masters champion had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. Advertisement The Northern Irishman – who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open – had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. Rory McIlroy made an impressive start in Cromwell. Photo: Jessica Hill/AP. World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th saw him finish six-under with 64, to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 15th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. Advertisement McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. ANOTHER 🐦 at the 18th gets him in the clubhouse with a 62 (-8)!! He's our early round one leader. 🫡 — TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) June 19, 2025 Sport Rory McIlroy determined to build on 'good feeling'... Read More England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. World number one Scottie Scheffler, defending his Travelers Championship title, has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun in the later starters. Advertisement
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rory McIlroy two shots off early clubhouse leader at Travelers Championship
Rory McIlroy made an impressive start to the Travelers Championship to sit two shots off the early clubhouse lead. The Masters champion had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. Advertisement The Northern Irishman – who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open – had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. Rory McIlroy made an impressive start in Cromwell (Jessica Hill/AP) World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th saw him finish six-under with 64, to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. Advertisement American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 15th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. World number one Scottie Scheffler, defending his Travelers Championship title, has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun in the later starters.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Rory McIlroy two shots off early clubhouse leader at Travelers Championship
Rory McIlroy made an impressive start to the Travelers Championship to sit two shots off the early clubhouse lead. The Masters champion had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. The Northern Irishman – who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open – had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th saw him finish six-under with 64, to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 15th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. World number one Scottie Scheffler, defending his Travelers Championship title, has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun in the later starters.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Rory McIlroy hoping Travelers Championship proves ‘perfect sort of chaser' after testing US Open
Rory McIlroy hopes this week's Travelers Championship proves less of a grind as the Masters champion looks to get back into the groove ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush . It has not been the smoothest of returns to action for the world number two following his Augusta triumph in April, which completed a long-awaited career Grand Slam. The 36-year-old saw his driver ruled as 'nonconforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before he missed the cut at the Canadian Open. It was also tough going for McIlroy at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course, where he battled to make it into the weekend before eventually tying for 19th. READ MORE McIlroy, though, played his best golf of the week during Sunday's final round, where his three-under-par 67 was the joint best of the day. After playing at the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Connecticut, McIlroy plans to move into his new house in Wentworth in Surrey before the Scottish Open and then mount his challenge for another Open crown on home soil. With plenty of background noise having again followed him at Oakmont, McIlroy hopes to be able to stay focused on the job in hand at the final PGA Tour signature event of the season. 'I think the weeks after Major championships when you are in contention and you are trying to win them it can feel quite difficult to go play the next week,' McIlroy told a press conference at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. 'After a week like I had at Oakmont, where you are not quite in the mix but you might feel you find something in your game, you are excited to come back and play again. 'This is the perfect sort of chaser for what Oakmont was last week, and nice to get out on a golf course where you feel you can make quite a few birdies. 'There's a lot of guys in the field this week where this is their fourth tournament in a row, so they have been put through the wringer the last few weeks. 'This is a welcome set-up where they feel like they can relax a little bit and not have to grind so much for your score.' McIlroy will tee off alongside American Keegan Bradley on Thursday morning (3.35pm Irish time), while Shane Lowry will play alongside Denny McCarthy, teeing off at 6.05pm Irish time. World number one Scottie Scheffler will defend his Travelers Championship title and has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun for the opening two rounds. 'I didn't have my best stuff last week but was still able to get a decent finish,' said Scheffler, who tied for seventh at Oakmont. 'I have felt good about my prep work so far this week and I'm excited to get the tournament started.'
