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Rory McIlroy Shares Sincere Admission Ahead of Genesis Scottish Open

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 12:19 PM ET

The 153rd Open Championship is set to return to Royal Portrush, bringing together the world’s best golfers for one of the most anticipated weekends in the sport. All eyes are on American Xander Schauffele, who won the tournament last year, but the competition is stacked with challengers, including Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy, currently ranked No. 2 in the world behind Scottie Scheffler, is aiming to rediscover his form after some recent struggles. Those issues have surfaced following his major triumph at Augusta National, where he completed the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters.

McIlroy’s history at the Open Championship includes a win in 2014 when he held off Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia by two strokes. Now 36, McIlroy returns to a course where the stakes feel especially meaningful. Before his start at this weekend's Genesis Scottish Open he had this to say about heading to Royal Portrush next weekend:

“There are venues in the game that just mean a little bit more,” McIlroy said Wednesday when discussing his mindset ahead of the tournament.

"There's venues in the game that just mean a little bit more."

Rory McIlroy on trying to win an Open in his home country, via @Sean_Zak:pic.twitter.com/rRUePXK4Rf
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) July 9, 2025

In his most recent outing, McIlroy finished sixth at the Travelers Championship, earning $695,000. That came on the heels of a tied-for-19th finish at the U.S. Open at Oakmont. His form hasn’t been consistent, however. At the PGA Championship, he shot 3-over par and tied for 47th. He followed that with a missed cut at the Canadian Open.

Reflecting on his motivation since winning the career Grand Slam, McIlroy was candid.

“I would certainly say the last few weeks, I’ve had a couple weeks off, and going and grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is maybe a little tougher than it used to be,” McIlroy said. “You have this event in your life that you’ve worked toward, and it happens. Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again.”

At last year’s Open, McIlroy missed the cut, breaking a three-year streak of advancing through the weekend. In 2022, he finished third, and in 2023 he tied for sixth.

Now, McIlroy is looking to write a new chapter at Royal Portrush.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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