Rory McIlroy believes winning an Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews is already “the holy grail” of golf, and winning the 150th would be even more special.
The 2014 champion missed defending his title in 2015 due to the infamous five-a-side ankle injury, and so the feeling of anticipation is even more acute for him.
And while he doesn’t quite agree with Bobby Jones’ comment that a great golfer’s legacy is incomplete without a win at St Andrews, it is among the most significant totems of golf.
‘It’s one of the highest achievements you can have’
The year is 2022.@TigerWoods is back messing with @McIlroyRory at the home of golf. pic.twitter.com/PUoMJvJj9P
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 11, 2022
“I think it’s the holy grail of our sport. Not a lot of people are going to get that opportunity to achieve it, but that’s what winning an Open at St Andrews is. It’s one of the highest achievements that you can have in golf.
“There’s a lot of great players that have won Opens but maybe not Opens at St Andrews, so I think it’s unfair to say that a golfer’s career isn’t complete without that. But it’s certainly up there with one of the greatest things you can do in our game.”
For himself, given a choice of a win here or the Masters that has so far eluded him, he’ll be greedy – ‘I guess it’s both,” he said.
McIlroy has plenty of experience of the Old Course but it’s mostly from the Dunhill in September/October and amateur golf in May, when it is entirely different course, he points out
“At that time it’s sort of hit driver everywhere, get it as close to the greens as you can, and then take your chances from there,” he said.
‘It’s a more strategic course like this’
Rory McIlroy unleashing on a balata ball with a hickory. Doesn’t get any better than that. #TeamTaylorMade pic.twitter.com/bpMbmYgFJJ
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) July 11, 2022
“Laying back, giving yourself full shots into some of these greens, playing the angles a little bit more, I think that’s going to be really important. It’s definitely a lot more of a strategic golf course when it plays like this.
“If you hit a lot of drivers, you may get close to some of these greens, and it would be advantageous to lay back and give yourself fuller, fuller wedge shots into some of these greens.”
Therefore the narrative coming into this championship that the Old Course is about to overwhelmed by the big hitters is misleading, he thinks.
“I don’t think you’re going to see that. The condition of the golf course, with a little bit of breeze, it’s going to get super tricky by the end of the week.
“You can bomb it around here and hit driver and get it close to the greens, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to make birdies from those positions.
“I can see (the winning score) being low enough, into the teens, but I can’t see something in the 20-under-par range.”
‘You can always be better’
.@mcilroyrory taking the high road around the bunker to this section of the green on 17. 💯 #SpiderX pic.twitter.com/NK9oawXKd7
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) July 11, 2022
Rory’s sole Open at St Andrews – in 2010 – started with a 63, and then followed with a 80 in wild and windy conditions.
“I don’t remember much from either – I usually have to watch highlights to remember what I did or how I played,” he said.
“The only thing I remember about the 63 is hitting a 6-iron into 3 feet at 17 and missing the putt.
“That sticks out in my mind. Because I remember coming off thinking that was a really good opportunity to be first person ever to shoot 62 in a major, and I didn’t quite get it done.
“It’s a good example of human behaviour, I guess. You can always be better.”