Newly crowned Masters champion Rory McIlroy will have “unfinished business” when the Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush this summer, says R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
Northern Irishman McIlroy, who won at Augusta National earlier this month to complete career Grand Slam, missed the cut when The Open was held at the Dunluce Links for the first time in 68 years in 2019.
On Tuesday, Darbon announced that this year’s championship, which takes place from 17-20 July, will be the biggest sporting event held in Northern Ireland, with 278,000 fans expected on the Antrim coast links.
“I think he’s probably got some unfinished business here,” Darbon told BBC Sport NI of McIlroy’s chances.
“We’re looking forward to a brilliant event.”
Darbon, who was appointed R&A chief last summer, added: “We were excited enough as it was, having the Open Championship back here, but I think that [McIlroy’s Masters win] is the icing on the cake and sets us up for a fantastic summer of golf.”
This year’s Open, which will be the biggest held outside of St Andrews in Scotland, is expected to generate £213m of economic impact.
The 2019 tournament proved a memorable occasion as Ireland’s Shane Lowry won his first major title.
When asked how this summer’s Open can top 2019, Darbon said: “I think we can. You look for certain things when staging an Open Championship.
“You want a brilliant links course to test the best golfers in the world, you want passionate fans and you want a location to tell stories about this wonderful championship and Royal Portrush delivers on all those things in spades.”