Rory McIlroy 'redeemed' at Portrush despite missing the Claret Jug

McIlroy: 'I got everything I wanted'

It wasn't the dream homecoming Rory McIlroy had been hoping for, but his return to Royal Portrush was still an emotional redemption story. Six years after his shock exit at The Open 2019 on his home turf, McIlroy made thousands of Northern Irish fans proud and emotional.

The five-time major champion delivered four days of emotional action, with moments of both triumph and regret. Despite finishing tied for seventh, seven strokes behind new champion Scottie Scheffler, that result could not overshadow the magical journey and the special connection between McIlroy and his hometown audience.

“I feel really grateful and proud,” McIlroy said. “Proud to be from here, proud of what I did and fought for in this little country. To stand in front of my hometown crowd, and to be received like that. It was really amazing. I will remember it forever.”

McIlroy came to Royal Portrush 2025 as the 2025 Masters champion, but also with the bitter memories of the 2019 defeat. He had raised hopes when he recorded three birdies in the first four holes of the final round, but a double bogey at hole 10 ended all efforts to chase Scheffler, who played too coolly and made no mistakes in the leading position.

“I tried to control my emotions as best I could, especially when I stepped onto the green and got that kind of reception,” McIlroy said. “It was a great week. I got everything I wanted except the Claret Jug. But that was only because one guy played better than all of us.”

Scheffler was brilliant, but Portrush was Rory's stage.

Unable to win the race to the championship, McIlroy still affirmed his position in the hearts of fans, where his sincerity and undisguised emotions brought tears to many people.

Currently ranked world number two, McIlroy is still hungry to pursue more major titles, after ending an 11-year drought with victory at The Masters 2025 and completing the prestigious Grand Slam of his career.

It will be a few years before The Open returns to Royal Portrush, where McIlroy set the course record with a 61 as a teenager. “Hopefully I’ll play The Open here at least once or twice more. Maybe once when I’m still competitive, and then again when I have more grey hair than I have now,” McIlroy said.

“I think Portrush is now one of the best venues The Open has ever hosted,” McIlroy added. “Ask any golfer this week, no one can fault it.”

McIlroy also acknowledged that Scottie Scheffler is on another level right now. “He’s the benchmark we’re all trying to reach,” McIlroy said. “There’s probably only two or three players in history who have had the run of form that Scottie has had over the last two or three years. It’s pretty impressive.”

McIlroy will slow down his playing pace after The Open to prepare for the Ryder Cup in New York later in the year. “I don’t want to play too much before that because I want to keep myself comfortable,” he said. “I’ll take some time to look back at what I’ve done and then start preparing for the end of the year.”