The Irish Open tees off Saturday, and all eyes are on Rory McIlroy as he prepares to take on the challenging course at Royal County Down in his home county.
According to the latest odds with Ladbrokes, McIlroy is the clear favourite to win the Irish Open, at 5/1. This is no surprise, given his class. McIlroy had a long season, with some big successes, including wins at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the Wells Fargo Championship, and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans along with Shane Lowry. He has also been working hard on his game, and his dedication is paying off.
"I think there's a few things I need to clean up in my game," McIlroy said in a recent interview with UTV.
It's been such a busy year, I haven't been able to work on my swing or my technique a little bit, and I feel like that's deteriorated as I've gone throughout the year.
11 September 2024; Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his shot from the first fairway during the Pro Am before the Amgen Irish Open Golf Championship 2024 at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, Down. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Despite this, McIlroy is feeling confident about his chances at the Irish Open. "To be home, home and stay in my own house and see my friends and all that — I've only been here for a day — but it's been great," he said. "Obviously, really looking forward to the week. I love coming back and playing, even if it's just with my mates, coming playing at RCD or playing Portrush, so to be able to play a tournament, I didn't do so well last time. So I'm trying to improve on that."
For McIlroy, winning the Irish Open would be a meaningful victory. "From an outsider, it probably wouldn't be as meaningful as some of the other wins that I've had," he said in an interview with TalkSport.
But for me, it would be up there with one of the biggest wins that I've had.
This is not just because of the prestige of the tournament, but also because of the personal significance of playing on home soil. "I'll never forget those couple of days in Portrush, especially that Friday and trying to make the cut and the support that I got," McIlroy said, recalling his experience at the 2019 Open Championship. "But yeah, Covid happened, and I wasn't able to get home (for the Irish Open at Galgorm Castle in 2020). It'll be nice to rekindle that again."
However, McIlroy is not the only strong contender in the running. Shane Lowry, who is hot on his heels with 9/1 odds, is also feeling confident about his chances. "I really, really want to be on that team," he said, referring to the European Ryder Cup team. "That is one of the main reasons I practice. I would say it is the main driving point of my career right now.
It will be a hard team to make. Hopefully, I can do and hopefully we can go and win the trophy.
Lowry's determination to make the Ryder Cup team is clear, and he will be looking to make a strong impression at the Irish Open.
Shane Lowry is turning his focus to qualifying for the Ryder Cup admitting that it's "probably the main driving points of my career right now." pic.twitter.com/2TBxH4KA1N
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 11, 2024
Other strong contenders include Aaron Rai, Robert MacIntyre, and Rasmus Hojgaard, who are all in the running for the title. Last year's winner Vincent Norman is a long shot at 200/1, but he cannot be ruled out entirely.
The Irish Open is always an exciting tournament, and with these odds, it's shaping up to be a thrilling competition. Will McIlroy finally get his second title, or will someone else steal the show?
