Nick Faldo urges Rory McIlroy to act like he ‘owns the ring’ at 151st Open

Nick Faldo has urged Rory McIlroy to act like he “owns the ring” as he bids to end his lengthy major drought.

McIlroy travelled to Hoylake on Sunday afternoon following a brilliant victory in the Genesis Scottish Open, where he birdied the last two holes to edge out home favourite Robert MacIntyre.

The world number two has not tasted victory in a major championship since the 2014 US PGA, a win which came a month after he had lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool.

Two of Faldo’s Open titles came at the same venue and the six-time major winner believes McIlroy should behave as if he is the defending champion this week.

“Yeah, why not?” Faldo said. “It’s like saying ‘I own the ring, you ain’t gonna knock me down’.

“I felt that way when I came back to Muirfield in 1992 after winning in 1987. I was playing well, I was world number one, one of the favourites and all that and I thought ‘yeah, this is my spot, I’m gonna defend winning at Muirfield’.

“He’s got to be feeling good going back to somewhere he’s won before. He’s playing well. I think the most important thing is he just wants to be a golfer right now, give me a bit of space, let me breathe, let me just go and play.

“He’s one of the top few players in the world, and it’s probably a nice feeling for him – he knows if he plays really well he knows the names he’s got to beat.”

Thirty-four majors have been staged since McIlroy’s last victory, with Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa and Dustin Johnson all winning multiple titles and 18 different players tasting victory once, including a 50-year-old Phil Mickelson and an injury-ravaged Tiger Woods.

McIlroy has had to settle for commendable consistency, recording 19 top-10s and finishing