Rory McIlroy reveals his ‘new Everest’ and already ‘looking forward’ to leaving USA

Rory McIlroy is excited to get back to Europe soon and get himself feeling ‘refreshed and rejuvenated’ ahead of The Open.

McIlroy has suffered an alarming slump after claiming Masters and Grand Slam glory back in April.

After joining golf’s elite with his stunning victory at Augusta, the Northern Irishman has struggled for form, seemingly playing with a lack of motivation.

He finished T47 at the PGA Championship and only just made the cut at the US Open, cutting a frustrated figure on the course in recent weeks.

After an angry and abrupt first showing of the week in front of the media on Saturday, McIlroy was more upbeat after his final round and says he still has plenty to look forward to this summer.

He is set to move into a newly refurbished mansion in Wentworth before starring at the Scottish Open and The Open in the coming weeks.

This year’s Open Championship is being held at Royal Portrush, a course McIlroy grew up playing and somewhere he would dearly love to win at as a professional.

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Following his final round 67 at Oakmont, McIlroy admitted he needs ‘another mountain to climb’ post-Masters win and Portrush may provide the perfect challenge to target next.

He said: “I’m looking forward to just getting back to Europe in general.

Obviously I’ve got one more week over here. Play Hartford next week [for the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour].

We’ve got a lot to look forward to, got our new house in London, play the Scottish [Open] and then obviously The Open at Portrush.

“Just trying to get myself in the right frame of mind to approach that.

I feel like playing an Open at Portrush already and sort of at least remembering what those feelings were like and those feelings that I was probably unprepared for at the time.

“It will be my first time sort of in public back home after winning the Masters. It should be a really nice week.

“I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb.

Competing in The Open at Portrush is undeniably special for Rory McIlroy.

“If I can’t find the motivation to perform at a home Open, then I don’t know what will drive me,” he said. “I just need to reset mentally. I haven’t really been in the right mindset recently. But going home and having a short break should help me recharge and come back ready.”

McIlroy has tough memories from Royal Portrush, having missed the cut there in 2019. A costly quadruple bogey on the very first hole led to a disappointing opening round of 79. Although he bounced back impressively with a 65 on Friday, it wasn’t enough to continue into the weekend.

Now, he’s aiming to regain form at the Travelers Championship next week — a key PGA Tour event — before returning to the UK.

He found success at the Renaissance Club in 2023, winning the Scottish Open, and looks forward to playing in North Berwick once again.

This year’s Open Championship, the final major of the season, returns to Royal Portrush from July 17 to 20 — just 65 miles from his hometown of Holywood.

“Hopefully I’ll be celebrating Sunday night with both the Claret Jug and the green jacket,” he added. “It’ll be incredible to play in front of a home crowd, reconnect with familiar faces, and soak up the energy. I’m really excited about it.

“It felt good to finish this week on a positive note with my performance today. Now it’s all about getting ready for Portrush.”