Rory McIlroy believes the return of The Open to Royal Portrush shows just how far Northern Ireland has come. The 153rd Championship takes place on his home soil for the second time in six years after a 68-year gap was bridged in 2019. McIlroy admits he feels fortunate to be amongst a generation which didn’t have to deal with the height of the ‘Troubles’ and it’s a very-different place from when his parents grew up. And, having clinched a Grand Slam with his cherished win at The Masters, the 36-year-old says winning at home would mean just as much. McIlroy was part of the incredible Irish golfing success along with Padriag Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke which helped take The Open back in the first place and he said: “I think just that momentum that we all had at that period of time and then for it to go there, I think it’s Irish golf and the players that have come through and how well that we’ve done. “But I also think it’s a great representation of how far Northern Ireland has come in the last 30 or 40 years because in the 70s and the 80s and the 90s, no-one would have dreamt of hosting an Open Championship in Northern Ireland in those times. “So I think it’s a testament to the people of Northern Ireland for how far we as a country have come, as well. Yeah, I lived a little bit of it. But I think my generation, honestly, couldn’t care less about what had happened in the past. Everyone’s just looking forward. "I feel very fortunate that I’m of the generation that I am that I didn’t have to deal with any of that or very little of it. My Mum and dad both grew up in the 60s and the 70s and Northern Ireland was a very different place. “It’s come a long, long way and I think people really appreciate when a huge sporting event that the world’s eyes are on, everyone really appreciates that and excited to show the country in the best light possible.” McIlroy would savour a success as he added: “If venues in golf matter to you, it maybe puts a little bit more pressure on you. So I would love to win an Open at Portrush, absolutely. I would love to win an Open at St Andrews, to win a US Open at Pebble Beach. “Having Portrush and the experience I had there last time. The Friday was amazing, the Thursday, not too much. “It’s a little like when [Novak] Djokovic won the Olympics last year, he knew that was going to be his final chance and you saw the emotion and you saw how much it meant to him. You can’t pretend that it’s not there. “You just have to play as if you’re not playing at home, but it obviously has a little more emphasis. There’s something extra there.” Before he gets there, McIlroy will contend for the Genesis Scottish Open and, having the chance to get back to the UK and settle into his new home, he’s enjoyed the chance to disappear off the radar. He said: “I got over to this side of the Atlantic a couple weeks ago trying to get settled into our new place down in Wentworth. “The one thing I would say about the last couple of weeks is I felt like I could detach a little bit more and sort of hide in a way. “I feel like this world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it. I think over the past 12 months, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to have more fun and I’ve really tried to do that. “Me and a bunch of friends went to Dortmund in January and watched the Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen game, we then stopped off in Istanbul for a night on our way over to Dubai. [Daughter] Poppy’s starting to learn how to ski, so we went to Montana in February and took a skiing holiday. “At this stage of life, I’m actually trying to build my schedule around those weeks instead of the other way around.” McIlroy’s changes could bring more longevity to a stunning career which has seen him at the top for almost two decades. The young guns keep coming and he said: “I think it’s one of the under-appreciated things about any sport. You look at what Djokovic is doing at Wimbledon or what someone like a Cristiano Ronaldo is still doing at 40 years old, or Tom Brady in American football. “That longevity piece is something that maybe isn’t talked about enough. Before I won this major this year, the last major I won in 2014, I had never heard of Scottie Scheffler. “I feel like I’m one generation ahead of Scottie, for example, who is still in his 20s. You see all these younger kids that are coming up, the likes of a Michael Thorbjornsen or Luke Clanton or these guys that basically are ready to play at the top level coming out of college and you have to make sure you’re staying on top of what makes you such a great player.”