PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland :It was not quite the glorious homecoming Rory McIlroy had dared to dream of on his return to Royal Portrush but it felt like redemption for Northern Ireland's favourite sporting son after the heartbreak of six years ago.
Five-times major champion McIlroy produced a few magical moments over four days for the thousands who descended on the Antrim coast hoping to roar him to British Open glory.
In the end the Northern Irishman fell short, however, finishing tied seventh, seven strokes behind a supreme champion in Scottie Scheffler.
After the gloom of missing the cut in 2019 when the Open returned to the land of his birth for the first time since 1951, though, it felt like a celebration for the 36-year-old who arrived at the course wearing his Masters green jacket.
"I tried as best as I could to keep my emotions in check, especially walking up the last there and that reception," said McIlroy, who briefly threatened to make a charge on Sunday before a double-bogey on the 10th ended his hopes.
"It's been an awesome week," he said. "I've gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a Claret Jug, and that's because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us."
McIlroy remains the world number two and is hungry for more majors after completing his career Grand Slam by winning this year's Masters to end an 11-year major drought.
COURSE RECORD
It will be a few years before golf's oldest major returns to Royal Portrush, though, where McIlroy shot a course record 61 as a teenager.
"I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of this crowd," he said.
"Hopefully, I'll have one or two Opens left here, if the R&A decide to keep coming back, probably
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