PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Rory McIlroy was younger and less seasoned mentally than he is now.&nbsp;

He had no idea what to expect when he stepped to the first tee in the opening round of the 2019 British Open at Royal Portrush, a golf course in Northern Ireland located 60 miles from his boyhood home on which he set the course record as a 16-year-old.&nbsp;

McIlroy hit his opening tee shot out of bounds, broke the face of a spectator’s mobile phone with the errant shot, took a quadruple-bogey 8 on the hole and played himself out of the tournament with a 79.&nbsp;

He rallied with a 65 in the second round, and the atmosphere around Portrush was as electric on a Friday as it would get on a final-round Sunday, with the locals willing McIlroy to make the cut and play the weekend.&nbsp;

Playing an Open Championship in his backyard and flaming out the way he did back in ’19 has stayed with him. {ai:summary}<p>Rory McIlroy faced a challenging start at the 2019 British Open in Portrush, Northern Ireland, hitting his first tee shot out of bounds and breaking a spectator's phone. He ended the first round with a score of 79 but rebounded with a 65 in the second round, energizing local fans. </p><p>The atmosphere was electric, as spectators hoped McIlroy would make the cut and continue playing through the weekend. #sports</p>

Wiser Rory McIlroy better equipped to handle home pressure at British Open this time around

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