Rory McIlroy believes the National Open “definitely means something else” and is vital to the tradition and legacy of the sport.
The world number three is the proud owner of the British Open trophy, having won it at Royal Liverpool in 2014, and has also won the US Open – claiming his first major title in 2011 at Congressional Country Club.
He has also won the Canadian Open twice and had a stunning success at the Scottish Open in July 2023 – beating Ryder Cup teammate Robert MacIntyre by one stroke.
While McIlroy’s love for the National Open Championship is obvious, the 35-year-old Northern Irishman insists he still holds these tournaments in high regard as the 35-year-old expressed his belief that the historic tournament is above the regular tour events.
“I think history, tradition and heritage is a big part of the game of golf,” McIlroy said on Sunday before MacIntyre won the Canadian Open and his first PGA Tour victory. “It's one of the oldest championships in the world, like the Scottish Open… Yeah, the Open definitely means something else.”
Rory McIlroy with the Claret Jug in 2014
(Image source: Getty Images)
McIlroy went on to emphasize his point with the Canadian Open, the third-longest running championship on the PGA Tour behind The Open Championship and the U.S. Open. He continued: “It’s great to have so many people, Golf Canada and RBC support the RBC Open and make it special.
“Like I said, it’s a privilege to come here and compete every year, and I’m going to continue to do it until they tell me I can’t cross the border.”
It’s no secret that McIlroy was born in Northern Ireland, but his continued support in North America can be confusing to the uninitiated because the level of support is so overwhelming.
On his way to a T4 finish, McIlroy finished just three shots shy of MacIntyre's 16-under-par winning score, and all week long, thousands of Canadians were cheering on the serial champion – a fact that was not lost on McIlroy.
“Yeah, it's incredible,” he said of the fans at Hamilton Country Club. “I feel like an honorary Canadian right now, the support I get here is amazing.”
“I say this all the time, but it's a real privilege to play in this atmosphere. The crowds are great, they're so supportive and so passionate.”
@McIlroyRory makes another birdie 🐦 Two-time @RBCCanadianOpen champ is now T4! pic.twitter.com/NsybDYtMrIJune 2, 2024
McIlroy begins a tough run of tournaments in June, with the Memorial being the penultimate signature event, ahead of the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship.
The Travelers Championship is the final senior tournament of the season and will likely be the four-time major champion's last before a two-week break before he defends his Scottish Open title in July.
Asked if he was happy about starting this glorious period off with such a strong performance, McIlroy said: “Obviously it’s a big thing playing golf here… You don’t want to go in and try to win every tournament you play.
“But I think, especially this weekend, with the Memorial next week and then obviously the U.S. Open the week after that, we’re going to have a lot of golf to play, but I was happy to see some good signs in my play this weekend.”
event | Year | travel |
---|---|---|
US Open | 2011 | Main |
Hong Kong Open | 2011 | DP World Tour |
Australian Open | 2013 | Australasian PGA Tour |
British Open | 2014 | Main |
Irish Open | 2016 | DP World Tour |
Canadian Open | 2019 | PGA Tour |
Canadian Open | 2022 | PGA Tour |
Scottish Open | 2023 | PGA TOUR/DP WORLD TOUR |