PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Twelve hours after Rory McIlroy wrapped up a second-place finish at the Scottish Open near Edinburgh, the five-time major winner walked up to the first tee at Royal Portrush around 7 a.m. local time, on four hours of sleep, and began his first practice round in advance of this year’s Open Championship.

Fans were still trickling onto the grounds and no other player was within sight as McIlroy plotted his way around a golf course where he still owns the course record — a 61 when he was just 16 years old. By the time he made the turn on the back nine, the crowd had grown and was filled with people looking to witness McIlroy’s return home, this time as a Grand Slam champion.

“The fact that I’m here at Portrush with the green jacket, having completed that lifelong dream, I want to do my best this week to enjoy everything that comes my way and enjoy the reaction of the fans and enjoy being in front of them and playing in front of them,” said McIlroy. “But at the same time, I want to win this golf tournament, and I feel like I’m very capable of doing that.”

The last time the Open Championship came to Portrush in 2019, McIlroy said he was unprepared for what kind of emotional experience it would be. After getting an ovation on the first tee, McIlroy hit his tee shot out of bounds and made an 8. He would go on to miss the cut. This week, McIlroy says, he is taking a slightly different approach.

“I think in ’19, I probably tried to isolate,” said McIlroy. “And I think it’s better for everyone if I embrace it.”

On Monday, after striking a 3-iron off the 18th tee, hitting his approach on the green and sinking in a birdie putt that elicited a decent-sized cheer from the gallery, McIlroy spent ample time signing memorabilia for the local fans in attendance. He signed countless yellow pin flags and hats, but also a giant Northern Ireland flag that featured all four major championships and said “Rory Legend” on it. One kid even held out a green suit jacket in a far different shade of green than the Masters one that McIlroy signed too.

“It’s nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times,” McIlroy said. “But it’s also nice for the person that is seeing you for the first time in a few years. It just makes for a better interaction and not trying to hide away from it.”

It helps, too, that McIlroy is playing his best golf since that historic Masters victory in April. In his last two starts, McIlroy has finished T-6 at the Travelers Championship and T-2 last week.

“A bit of a change of scenery has been really nice,” McIlroy said. “I’m excited with where my game is. I felt like I showed some really good signs last week. I feel like I’m in a good spot.”

Portrush’s demands this week — be it by way of wind, rain or simply the course’s sheer difficulty — will be steep, but McIlroy says he is in a much better headspace to take on the challenge. After playing well below his level at the PGA Championship and having a slow start at the U.S. Open, McIlroy himself admitted he was struggling with motivation following the long-awaited Masters win. This Open at home, however, needs no extra motivation.

“When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was circled, even more so than the Masters,” he said. “I’ve done something that I’ve told everyone that I wanted to do, but then it’s like I still feel like I have a lot more to give … I still feel like there’s a lot left in there. The story certainly isn’t over.”