Rory McIlroy made a strategic decision this week not to meet with the media for a full sit-down press conference in the build-up to the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. It’s a strategy that’s proved effective for the Northern Irishman so far this year. He ducked out of press conferences at both the US Open and Scottish Open and returned finishes of runner-up and champion in those events.
Rory’s clearly focused on getting over the line to win a fifth Major championship at a venue where he has enjoyed success in the past – He was Open champion at Hoylake back in 2014.
Although tough to pin down, Rory has given the media some comments on the course, his form and his memories of his last Major triumph, nine years ago.
Asked on his strategy for the course he revealed what he feels is the biggest challenge on the Hoylake links – Avoiding the bunkers.
“It's a very strategic golf course off the tee,” he said. “It's very, very well bunkered and that's I think the biggest challenge of this golf course - avoiding those pot bunkers off the tee.”
He also commented on the importance of selecting the right club from the tee. It’s clearly not always going to be driver for the 34-year-old.
“Just getting really comfortable with the clubs you're hitting off certain tees and whether you challenge the bunkers or not, or lay back,” he explained. “It's a very strategic golf course, which I like. You really have to think your way around it.”
Commenting on his form coming into the week, he clearly feels comfortable following his excellent victory in last week’s Genesis Scottish Open.
“Regardless of whether I won or not, I would have come in here confident with the way I've played over the last sort of month and a half,” he said.
“My game feels like it's in good shape, but I think seeing the way I played last week and being able to control my ball in pretty difficult conditions, I feel good about that coming into this week.”
Although he has great memories from 2014, he’s keen not to live too much in the past and to focus on this year’s effort.
“Over the past nine years a lot has happened in my life and I've played a lot of golf tournaments,” he said. "But yeah, there's a few things that I remember, and it's nice to get back on to the golf course and sort of re-familiarise myself with it.”
Rory McIlroy will start his challenge to lift the Claret Jug at Hoylake for a second time at 2.59pm on Thursday, playing with Jon Rahm and Justin Rose.
