Six years after his emotional missed cut at Royal Portrush, McIlroy stuck around for four days of heavy praise from the hometown crowd, which showered McIlroy all the way through his 10-under performance and T-7 finish.

The child stood transfixed, overwhelmed by the moment, until reality crashed back when McIlroy had already moved 50 yards past. Panic flashed across the boy's face—had he missed his chance? He found his voice.

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.

So, this was weird: Rory McIlroy, playing his second shot from the rough on the 11th at Royal Portrush in Round 3 of the British Open, somehow managed to unearth another ball in mid-swing. The second ball was apparently embedded in the ground a few inches ahead of McIlroy's ball, and popped into the air as McIlroy's shot flew greenward.

McIlroy has played solid enough through 36 holes at The Open Championship but will need to actually move on Moving Day

Rory McIlroy hopes The Open Championship will return to Northern Ireland once again in the near future, hailing Royal Portrush as “one of the best two or three venues” that the tournament is staged at.

While Rory McIlroy’s Northern Ireland homecoming won’t have the fairytale finish of winning a second Claret Jug at Royal Portrush, the atmosphere surrounding his return was amongst the highlights of an unforgettable Open Championship.

Live scores, updates and highlights as The Open continues with final-round action in Northern Ireland led by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy