CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Appearances are much different these days as far as Rory McIlroy is concerned at Carnoustie.
It is where he made his Open debut in 2007 as an amateur, an 18-year-old who was wide-eyed and a bit on the pudgy side compared to the way he looks today as a four-time major champion.
There is also the hair.
“When I looked in the mirror back then, I didn’t think it was as big as it was,” McIlroy said. “We live and we learn.”
Carnoustie looks considerably different, too.
Back then, when McIlroy was winning the medal for low amateur as Padraig Harrington won the tournament in a playoff over Sergio Garcia, the course was mostly green, with considerable rough and cool temperatures that made for stern, if not out of control, scoring conditions.
Now, as the 147th Open is set to begin on the same links, McIlroy sees a far different testing awaiting after a dry, warm British summer.
“The amount of gorse bushes they’ve taken away from this golf course since 2007… the fairways are not generous, but you’ve got another 5 or 10 yards on each side where it’s OK,” McIlroy said. “With links golf, you have to adapt.”
McIlroy grew up with this kind of golf in Northern Ireland near next year’s Open venue, Royal Portrush. But for all of his experience, he did not begin to excel until the last few years. He won in 2014 at Royal Liverpool (he missed the event in 2015 because of injury), then was fifth two years ago at Royal Troon and fourth last year at Royal Birkdale.
Prior to those finishes, his best was a third in 2010 at St. Andrews. This is his 10th appearance, and he expects to see all manner of strategies in play.
“There’s not going to be one player in this field that has a game plan on Wednesday night and is going to stick to that game plan the whole way around for 72 holes,” McIlroy said. “It’s just not going to happen with wind conditions, with pins. You start to feel a little bit more comfortable with a few shots, and you might start to take some on.
“It’s going to be really interesting, I think, because the golf course is playing so firm and fast, there’s some guys that will see it completely different than the way I see it and vice versa. It’s going to be really interesting to see how it all plays out.”
For example. Players such as Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka have suggested they will hit numerous drivers in attempt to blow tee shots over troublesome bunkers and take their chances with rough that is not nearly as penal as expected.
Tiger Woods, however, said that controlling a driver that can potentially roll for 80 yards or more can make that strategy risky. He seems intent on hitting irons short of trouble, and then trying to control iron shots from there.
“The bunkers are causing me to not hit drivers as opposed to being in the rough,” said Justin Thomas. “The bunkers here are truly a water hazard. You can never hit them on the green from them.”
Next month, Thomas defends his PGA Championship title at Bellerive. If McIlroy were to get there without winning the Claret Jug it will have been four years since winning the last of his four majors.
And he comes into The Open in decent, but not great, form. After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, McIlroy — who is ranked eighth in the world — was fifth at the Masters and second at the BMW PGA Championship, but he missed the cut at the U.S. Open and tied for 28th two weeks ago at the Irish Open.
“I was on a nice run there from 2011 to 2014,” he said. “I haven’t won one since, but I’m trying. I’m trying my best every time I tee it up, and it just hasn’t happened. I’ll give it a good go this week.”