An hour from home, Rory McIlroy is closing in on a lifetime win

Rory McIlroy left Northern Ireland many years ago, when his foreign talent and promise propelled him into a full-time career in pro golf. First, he lived in Dubai, playing mostly on the European Tour. Next came Florida, home to many of the game’s best players.

McIlroy is still a resident of Florida these days, now in his 17th year as a professional. He built a house outside of London, for those days when he returned to the United Kingdom. But this week, mentally and physically, you are far from those houses. He’s back home, in Holywood, Northern Ireland – where it all began, driving an hour to the Irish Open each day.

“Usually when you’re at a tournament … you can hear people being announced on the first call, and maybe the first thing you do is check your phone and see how the guys started and look at the leaderboard,” McIlroy said Friday.

“As I stayed for an hour, I felt included in this competition this week, which was a very good experience and one that I have never participated in, which is really good. Maybe the reason why I got off to a good start, I would say.”

McIlroy got off to a good start at Royal County Down, widely regarded as one of the best golf courses in the world, and continued to play well in his home country. He was a few shots back from the lead when he gave that quote, and now 24 hours later he’s gone. He shot a one-under 69 on Saturday to move to six under and alone on the leaderboard. Naturally, that kicks off a long Saturday night of scary thinking, for him and everyone else:

What if he actually did it in Northern Ireland?

Pro golf has a habit of asking these forward-thinking questions, and every day. Partly because the top players often give press conferences after each round. Every 18 holes requires a new way of thinking about the same goal he had earlier in the week.

“It would be great,” McIlroy said Saturday evening. “I talked about it earlier in the week. You know, after the kind of year I’ve had and the near misses, it wouldn’t end it all, but it would go a long way to putting a good light on 2024.

“I can’t go that far. I need to go out and play another solid round tomorrow to try and get the job done. But I’m happy with the first three days.”

McIlroy will say he can’t go forward. But he knows what it’s like for his best golf to have an added layer of significance when it takes place at a special location. It was back in Northern Ireland in 2019, at the Royal Portrush Open, where McIlroy shot 65 in the second round chasing the cut line. When he finished without her, he was moved to tears because of the support he received that day. Or even the 2022 Open in St. Andrews in Scotland, where McIlroy was undoubtedly the crowd favorite on the Old Course. They chanted his name in the streets after 54 holes, but after 72, he had two shots before the playoff. Again there were tears.

This would be different, one would think. On Sunday, McIlroy will make that one-hour drive from his home to one of the best courses in the world, and he’ll be forced to wonder if that trophy will be riding shotgun on the drive home. Or there could be be driving home. When Scotland’s own Bob MacIntyre won the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in July, McIlroy was in the field but on his way across the country to Royal Troon. The crowd sang the Scottish national anthem throughout the night after Bobby Mac won with a birdie on the 72nd hole.

Later, the night’s anthem was “I Would Walk 500 Miles,” by the Proclaimers, as MacIntyre and his family and friends partied until the wee hours of the morning, filling their mugs with all kinds of alcohol. His press conference that was scheduled for the next day was appropriately postponed, because if you win your home Open, everything on the calendar is put on hold.

Check back Sunday afternoon.