It was a return six years in the making, and it was a return that perfectly encapsulated Rory McIlroy. Making the trek back to Royal Portrush for The Open Championship -- now as a career grand slam winner -- the Northern Irishman experienced a topsy-turvy day as the hard stuff came easy and the easy stuff came hard.

The Open at Portrush was a lot for Rory McIlroy to handle in 2019. After the first round in 2025, in which he went 1 under, he tells Cara Banks he's handling it much better this time and looks forward to Friday.

McIlroy, playing with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood, is one of the early starters in Friday’s second round and sits just three shots behind the leaders overnight, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler,