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.

Rain lashed from above, North Atlantic winds pummeled from the side, and thousands of excited, umbrella-wielding shapes swirled amongst it all, yet the man at the eye of the storm remained entirely unflustered.

Rory McIlroy opened up on his disastrous start to the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, admitting he "tries to forget" about his first round at the event as Graeme McDowell places his bets on

The hometown hero is back at Royal Portrush, but Rory McIlroy was poor off the tee again as the Open Championship rolls on.

If we were feeling especially dramatic, that might be the way we'd describe the scene on the first tee Thursday afternoon at around 3:10 p.m. British Standard Time, when Rory McIlroy hit what can be reasonably described as the most anticipated first tee shot of 2025.

Rory McIlroy fought hard against errors in his game to card a one-under-par opening round at Royal Portrush, sitting just three shots back of the lead in The Open Championship

Current Masters champion Rory McIlroy was left to rue the controversial rule at Royal Portrush's first hole that also caught out the Northern Irishman six years ago at The Open