McIlroy aims to revive his Open Championship glory after 9 years

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who claimed a dramatic come-from-behind victory at the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday, is undeniably one of the top male golfers. Since turning professional at the age of 18, the 34-year-old has achieved a total of 24 wins on the PGA Tour. This season, he has secured two victories, placing himself in the second position in the world rankings and third in the FedEx Cup standings.

With the Open Championship, the final major tournament of the year for men's golf, kicking off in the UK for four days starting on Thursday, McIlroy's name is naturally found in the headlines of local media. However, the spotlight on McIlroy is particularly intense this time because this year's tournament is taking place at the prestigious Royal Liverpool Golf Club (Par 71) in Hoylake, England.

Located by the seaside, this links course has hosted the esteemed Open Championship 13 times, including this year. The most recent event was held in 2014 when McIlroy emerged as the champion at 25. That year, he also won the PGA Championship, becoming a four-time major champion at the age of 25. This is a feat only achieved by the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods (48) and the "Legend" Jack Nicklaus (83, both from the United States) before McIlroy.

Ironically, however, that year marked McIlroy's last major win in a major tournament, and he is determined to end his major championship drought on a course where he has fond memories from nine years ago. "My game feels as consistent as ever. It feels like the right time for me to win a major championship," said McIlroy after winning the Scottish Open. The PGA Tour has also placed him at the top of the power rankings. Following the cutoff at the Masters in April, he has been on an upward trajectory this year, finishing tied for 7th at the PGA Championship and earning a second place in the US Open.


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com