Rory McIlroy’s walk up the 18th hole at Royal Portrush six years ago was the cruelest of sneak previews. A chance to see what it might look like, what it might feel like. The crowd surrounding the final green during the second round of the 2019 Open Championship welcomed the then-30-year-old with an applause that only your own can produce.

Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for seventh place at The Open, where Scottie Scheffler eased to a four-shot victory over Harris English at Royal Portrush