Rory McIlroy came close to finishing among the leaders in the first round of the Open, but the back nine proved it can be a tough challenge for anyone.

Rory McIlroy opened up on his disastrous start to the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, admitting he "tries to forget" about his first round at the event as Graeme McDowell places his bets on

It was a return six years in the making, and it was a return that perfectly encapsulated Rory McIlroy. Making the trek back to Royal Portrush for The Open Championship -- now as a career grand slam winner -- the Northern Irishman experienced a topsy-turvy day as the hard stuff came easy and the easy stuff came hard.

At this time six years ago, Rory McIlroy was already on his way home, heartbroken about missing the cut in his first “home” British Open.

Rory McIlroy remains in contention heading into the weekend of The Open Championship, and the Northern Irishman has the benefit of having the home crowd behind him

The first round of the 2025 Open Championship saw Royal Portrush giving the 156-player field all it could handle as ever-changing weather conditions allowed the Northern Ireland course to show off its strength against the best players in the world.

Rory McIlroy was caught swearing on live TV during The Open, with Sky Sports forced to issue an apology following the incident