I'll handle pressure better at the Open - McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is assured he will grip nan unit of trying to seizure an elusive 5th awesome title "a small spot better" if he finds himself successful contention to triumph nan Open astatine Royal Troon connected Sunday.

McIlroy has recorded 21 top-10 finishes successful golf's 4 biggest events since winning nan past of his 4 awesome titles astatine nan 2014 USPGA Championship.

His astir caller disappointment came astatine past month's US Open, wherever nan 35-year-old bogeyed 3 of his past 4 holes to let Bryson DeChambeau to snatch a melodramatic one-shot triumph astatine Pinehurst.

McIlroy, who last week revealed he spent immoderate downtime successful Manhattan successful bid to get complete his Pinehurst pain, has besides had adjacent calls astatine nan Open since lifting nan Claret Jug successful 2014, finishing tied 2nd down Francesco Molinari successful 2018 and 3rd astatine St Andrews successful 2022 having led by 2 pinch 8 holes to play.

"I'll only cognize nan effect [of Pinehurst] if I get myself successful a akin position connected Sunday," nan world number 2 told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

"I played 68 really bully holes of play astatine Pinehurst and conscionable fto it gaffe distant astatine nan end.

"Hopefully I get myself successful that position again, and if I do, I cognize I'll grip it a small spot better."

McIlroy marked his competitory return by finishing tied 4th successful his defence of nan Scottish Open past week.

He tied for 5th erstwhile nan Open was past held astatine Royal Troon connected Scotland's Ayrshire seashore successful 2016, albeit 16 shots down that year's champion Henrik Stenson.

McIlroy enjoyed a relaxed build-up to Thursday's opening information by playing a Tuesday greeting believe information pinch chap Northern Irishmen Darren Clarke - nan 2011 champion - and Tom McKibbin, who is making his debut successful golf's oldest championship.

"It's bully to travel retired present and get immoderate mentation successful but person it successful a relaxed ambiance and successful bully institution wherever it doesn't consciousness for illustration there's overmuch pressure," said McIlroy.

The Holywood native, who has six top-five finishes successful 14 Open starts, added: "It's nan astir important tourney successful our crippled truthful to get my sanction connected that jug for nan 2nd clip would beryllium phenomenal, particularly aft each nan adjacent calls I've had complete nan past mates of years.

"[I] can't deliberation astir that excessively much. I conscionable person to spell retired location and play my crippled and if I play nan measurement I've been playing I'll hopefully person a chance connected Sunday."

McKibbin, meanwhile, is continuing his dependable advancement successful nan master ranks having secured his spot astatine Troon successful bittersweet manner by losing to Germany's Marcel Siem successful a play-off for past month's Italian Open.

The 21-year-old, who vanished a respectable tied 41st connected his US Open debut past month, says he is wary of putting excessively overmuch unit connected himself this week.

"[I'll] spell out, play my crippled and astatine nan extremity of it measure wherever I'm astatine against these awesome guys," said McKibbin, who joked that Clarke had been giving him a "hard time" astir not being successful nan section earlier he qualified.

"I don't want to put excessively overmuch unit connected myself by saying I want to do this and that but conscionable spell out, perpetrate to each my shots and person a bully week."

As for Clarke, who vanished tied 2nd astatine Troon successful 1997, nan 55-year-old says he is assured nan early holds awesome title wins for some McIlroy and McKibbin.

"He [McIlroy]'s sewage much coming and if he [McKibbin] listens to Rors, he'll person his sanction connected immoderate trophies arsenic well. And I'll beryllium happily sitting pinch a portion successful my manus watching them some connected TV!"