And he comes in on a high after being part of the bronze medal winning Ireland team in the European Championships. “I’d like to go one better and get the silver medal this week,” said Maguire.Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy during a practice round prior to the British Open at Royal Liverpool. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images
McIlroy played nine holes of practice with Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry and got a congratulatory hug on his Scottish Open success from singer Niall Horan before teeing off. “I feel really good about everything, I’m in a good spot ... go out and play my golf and enjoy it. That’s always been the way I’ve played my best golf is playing with a bit of a carefree attitude and I’m able to do that. I’m pretty sure the byproduct of that is that I’ll be able to play some good golf,” said McIlroy.“I feel like the Irish people have probably a little bit better connection with their sporting heroes.
In a career which featured its share of heartbreaking collapses and bad slices of luck, the Great White Shark fired a final round 64 around Sandwich for a winning total of 13-under-par 267 to finish two strokes clear of his nemesis Nick Faldo and three ahead of Bernhard Langer.