Rory McIlroy is back at Royal Portrush and feeling plenty of love as the Masters champion. It's far different from when the British Open was last held in Northern Ireland.

"It's nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times," Rory McIlroy said of his return to Royal Portrush for the British Open.

McIlroy is working on fumes after heading directly from the Scottish Open to his Open practice round on Monday

Fans were still trickling onto the grounds and no other player was within sight as McIlroy plotted his way around a golf course where he still owns the course record -- a 61 when he was just 16 years old.