Rory McIlroy wants to embrace the expectations which come with The Open in his native Northern Ireland after admitting he was ill-prepared for the outpouring of emotion which accompanied his appearance at Royal Portrush in 2019.
The world number two accepts his decision to isolate himself from the circus which surrounded the major’s return for the first time in 68 years to the links where he set the course record of 61 as a 16-year-old was a mistake.
