The world number three tees it up in Northern Ireland for the first time since he missed the cut in the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
But while he admits there are parts of his game that he needs to “clean up” after a “decent” year that saw events such as the US Open slip through his fingers, he’s grateful for the chance to hook up with coach Michael Bannon again and try to add to his 2016 Irish Open win at The K Club.
“To be home, home and stay in my own house and see my friends and all that — I’ve only been here for a day — but it’s been great,” McIlroy told UTV at the Newcastle links on Monday.
“Obviously, really looking forward to the week. I love coming back and playing, even if it’s just with my mates, coming playing at RCD or playing Portrush, so to be able to play a tournament, I didn’t do so well last time. So I’m trying to improve on that.”
McIlroy missed the cut when he hosted the Irish Open at Royal County Down in 2015 and he’s hoping to make amends by challenging this week in front of Co Down support, recalling the ovation he got from the fans in Northern Ireland in Portrush in 2019.
“I’ll never forget those couple of days in Portrush, especially that Friday and trying to make the cut and the support that I got,” he said. “But yeah, Covid happened, and I wasn’t able to get home (for the Irish Open at Galgorm Castle in 2020). It’ll be nice to rekindle that again.
“I always appreciate the unbelievable support that I get from home and everyone around here. But I haven’t played as well as I want to when I come back and play these events at home. So hopefully, this year that can change.”
McIlroy has won three times this year — the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, the Wells Fargo Championship and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Shane Lowry.
But after letting the US Open and an Olympic medal slip through his grasp, he hopes to iron out some kinks in his game, capture a sixth Race to Dubai title and then cut back on his schedule in 2025 by playing as many as ten fewer events.
“I think there’s a few things I need to clean up in my game,” he added. “It’s been such a busy year, I haven’t been able to work on my swing or my technique a little bit, and I feel like that’s deteriorated as I’ve gone throughout the year.
“So it’s been nice to reconnect with Michael, try to get some work in this week, and obviously going into the last few months of the year, feel like there were a couple of wins that I let get away but, but overall, it’s been a decent year, and I feel like I’m in pretty good form coming in here.”
After playing in next week’s BMW PGA at Wentworth and the two season-ending DP World Tour events in the Middle East, McIlroy will team up with Scottie Scheffler to face his US Open nemesis Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in an exhibition in Las Vegas that’s being billed as a clash between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
Frustrated by the slow pace of the PGA Tour’s talks with PIF, LIV’s backers, reuniting the world’s best players is one of McIlroy’s great hopes.
“I think for the players, it’s a way to try to capitalise on everything that’s been going on,” he said of the Las Vegas showdown.
“You know, for golf to be as strong as it can be, we need all the best players playing against each other more often and not just the four times a year at the majors.
“So if this match can help along the way, trying to get people back together, then hopefully that’s a good thing.”
As for winning the Irish Open for a second time, he said: “From an outsider, it probably wouldn’t be as meaningful as some of the other wins that I’ve had.
“But for me, it would be up there with one of the biggest wins that I’ve had.”