‘Should we feel sorry for him’: Fans react to Rory McIlroy’s early preparations for the Open Championship 

Rory McIlroy is back home in Northern Ireland as he gears up for the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club. The World No. 2 narrowly missed out on his fourth win of the season at the Genesis Scottish Open, finishing two shots behind Chris Gotterup, who claimed the title at 15-under.

After the near miss in Scotland, McIlroy wasted no time shifting his focus to the season’s final major. His journey back wasn’t smooth, though. NBC and Golf Channel reporter Todd Lewis shared on X that McIlroy reached his residence in Portrush around 1:00 am after travel delays.

Despite sleeping only 4.5 hours, the 36-year-old was on the course by 7:00 am for a full 18-hole practice round.

However, fans weren’t overly impressed by his effort.

One user wrote:

"Should we feel sorry for him?"

Another added:

"Travel delays w a private plane? Also 4.5hrs of sleep and then going to play golf is not difficult."

A third commented:

"Translation: "Had a nap on the private jet waiting for it to finally jet me off to a beautiful village where I slept some more and then went to play an awesome golf course." Yeah, tough Monday there. Folks stuck in painful 9-5 jobs are feeling your pain."

One user mocked:

"Poor old millionaires playing golf!!"

Another chimed in:

"Is he supposed to get a pat on the back for playing 18 holes of golf at a world class course on short rest?"

Still, there were some supportive voices as well:

"He must not wear himself down. We need him fresh and ready on Thursday"

Rory McIlroy, who won The Open in 2014 at Royal Liverpool, is now aiming to win a second Claret Jug and his sixth career major. Ahead of the tournament, he said:

“Just great to be back. I don’t spend a lot of time in these parts anymore, just with travel schedule, living abroad, all that stuff. To be here, to see a lot of familiar faces, even — every hole on the course has a different team of marshals from different golf clubs, and just to see people that I’ve met throughout the years out there this morning was really nice. It’s really nice to be back, and obviously very excited for the week." (via golf.com)

This will be Rory McIlroy’s 14th start of the 2025 season, where he already has three wins, one runner-up, and seven top-10 finishes.

How has Rory McIlroy performed in 2025 so far statistically?

Rory McIlroy has been consistent across most areas this season. He currently ranks:

• SG: Total – 1.790 (2nd)
• SG: Tee-to-Green – 1.036 (10th)
• SG: Off-the-Tee – 0.632 (5th)
• SG: Approach the Green – 0.177 (68th)
• SG: Around-the-Green – 0.227 (31st)
• SG: Putting – 0.754 (4th)
• Longest Drives – 392 yards (79th)
• Driving Distance – 322.2 yards (2nd)
• Driving Distance (All Drives) – 308.5 yards (4th)
• Driving Accuracy Percentage – 51.57% (169th)

While McIlroy’s distance off the tee and putting have been strong, his driving accuracy continues to be an area to improve. Despite that, his numbers show he remains one of the top contenders heading into The Open Championship.

Edited by Tushar Bahl