It was not quite the glorious homecoming Rory McIlroy had dared to dream of on his return to Royal Portrush but it felt like redemption for Northern Ireland's favourite sporting son after the heartbreak of six years ago.

McIlroy could not reproduce his Saturday magic to catch Scottie Scheffler, but he still achieved a level of redemption at his home Open

Rory McIlroy hopes to pull off an audacious comeback at The Open 2025 with Scottie Scheffler holding a commanding lead heading into Sunday’s fourth round at Royal Portrush. The world No 1 is four shots clear of Haotong Li,

Home favourite Rory McIlroy birdied three of his first four holes to mount a third-round charge as world number Scottie Scheffler maintained his British Open lead in perfect scoring conditions on Saturday.

So, this was weird: Rory McIlroy, playing his second shot from the rough on the 11th at Royal Portrush in Round 3 of the British Open, somehow managed to unearth another ball in mid-swing. The second ball was apparently embedded in the ground a few inches ahead of McIlroy's ball, and popped into the air as McIlroy's shot flew greenward.

Rory McIlroy shot 1-under 70 in the first round of the British Open at Royal Portrush that is also serving as a homecoming for the Northern Irish star