Rory McIlroy said he feels “the support of an entire country” after posting a one under par 70 to begin his Open bid in promising fashion at Royal Portrush. Day one at the Open marked McIlroy’s first competitive appearance in Northern Ireland since he became just the sixth golfer in history to complete a career grand slam, at the Masters in April. He was backed by packed and vociferous galleries throughout.

McIlroy’s round contrasted sharply with his start in 2019 as the Open returned to Portrush following a 68-year hiatus. Then, a Thursday 79 led to a missed cut despite brave efforts in round two. This time, McIlroy finds himself just three from the early leaders.

“Absolutely incredible,” said McIlroy of his backing. “I feel the support of an entire country out there, which is a wonderful position to be in but at the same time, you don’t want to let them down. So there’s that little bit of added pressure.

“I felt like I dealt with it really well today. Certainly dealt with it better than I did six years ago. I was just happy to get off to a good start and get myself into the tournament.

“I was sort of surprised. There’s a few guys at four under, but I’m surprised four under is leading. I thought someone might have gone out there and shot six or seven today. Only three back with 54 holes to go, I’m really happy with where I am.”

Asked to compare his emotions with 2019, McIlroy said: “I knew what to expect. It wasn’t new to me. So I think just having that experience of six years ago was definitely helpful. I didn’t feel like I was walking into the unknown this time around, where last time I hadn’t experienced that before.

“I hadn’t played an Open at home. I didn’t know how I was going to feel. I didn’t know the reaction I was going to get, where this time I had a better idea of what was going to be coming my way.”