But this is the Open, and McIlroy has a score to settle from the last one at Royal Portrush. So much hype, so many expectations, and he had a quadruple-bogey 8 on his card after one hole. He shot 79, and nearly recovered until missing a birdie on his last hole for a 65 to miss the cut by a single shot.

IF RORY MCILROY’S CAREER has been a long battle between his ethereal talent and the unworldly pressure and expectation that talent necessarily breeds, then Royal Portrush has been a theatre of this war.

Rory McIlroy looked back to his best as he surged to the top of the Scottish Open leaderboard, days before the Open returns to Portrush. After a dip in form following his Augusta National heroics, McIlroy is well positioned for his first victory since completing the Career Grand Slam as he shares the lead with American Chris Gotterup.