GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 9, 2025

Rory McIlroy

The Renaissance Club

Quick Quotes

Q. What about links golf fills your heart with joy?

RORY McILROY: When it's like this. I think the turf, the noise of strike when you strike a good iron off links turf, it just sounds a bit different. I think the creativity and the imagination you need around the greens. I think that's the -- and it's the purest form of golf. It's where golf was invented. It's where they first played on that sort of land. There's a nice connection to the past with links golf.

Q. You're coming home and playing in front of your people, and as one of six men to have won all four major championships, has it really sunk in? Have you had a moment to realise the depth of what you've done?

RORY McILROY: I think over these last couple of weeks, coming back over here, seeing people that I know that I haven't seen since Augusta, having conversations about how people felt watching it and obviously rekindles how I felt playing.

Yeah, it's been -- the last couple of weeks have been really nice. It's been nice to get back over here. See some familiar faces. And yeah, I feel like I didn't give myself that time after Augusta. Bit of a whirlwind. I wanted to go home and see my mum and dad, then New Orleans, the media tour, all a bit of a whirlwind, and straight into the next major.

It's been nice to have these couple of weeks to reflect and as well as rekindle my excitement and enthusiasm for the rest of the year. Obviously we have this week in Scotland and massive week next week in Portrush. I'm excited for the rest of year.

Q. When we spoke at the PGA Championship, we realised it's the highest mountain you can climb in the men's game to win all four major championships, but it does leave you, despite the enormous accomplishment, with the "what next" feeling? Do you feel any clearer on that, or is that something down the road to address?

RORY McILROY: I think I do feel a little clearer. It's amazing what ten days or two weeks of just a little bit of detachment can do for you, and sitting there being with your own thoughts for a while.

Yeah, look, there's other -- I don't want that to be my last great moment in the game. There's plenty more that I can do. I feel like I've kept banging on this drum all of this year, I feel like I'm a better player now than I ever have been.

And there's so many opportunities that lie ahead and whether that's Portrush next week or The Open going back to St Andrews or a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. There's all these great venues that all the greats have won on, and I'd love to add my name to those lists, as well.