Rory McIlroy has already played a practice round at Royal Birkdale ahead of The Open Championship which starts next week.
McIlroy made his way to Royal Birkdale to check out the golf course last month and he bumped into Sir Nick Faldo during his time there.
The 37-year-old Northern Irishman has been preparing differently for the major championships this year.
Rory McIlroy has been scouting out each major venue weeks, and sometimes months, in advance of the tournaments actually starting.
Ahead of The Open, McIlroy visited Royal Birkdale to get a feel for the golf course and he bumped into Nick Faldo out on the links.
Both players have huge respect for one another.
Faldo gave McIlroy a handwritten note after he won The Masters this year – one that the man from Holywood, Northern Ireland, greatly appreciated.
However, it seems as though Faldo let McIlroy’s ‘secret’ scouting trip to Birkdale out of the bag.
Rory McIlroy makes comment about Nick Faldo after Royal Birkdale trip
The six-time major champion sat down to speak with the media on Wednesday ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open this week.
McIlroy responded when asked whether his trip to Royal Birkdale last month was a scouting mission ahead of The Open.
“Birkdale was definitely just a scouting trip for The Open for sure,“ he said.
“I would have liked to not have it known that I was there, but Faldo couldn’t put his phone away, so — (laughing.)
“I love Nick. In fairness, he’s great. I had a good time with him. He walked a few holes with me.“
McIlroy is quite clearly a big fan of Faldo, although he obviously didn’t appreciate the fact that his scouting trip to Birkdale became public knowledge after Faldo posted a video to his social media accounts showing the Northern Irishman on property!
Rory McIlroy comments on St Enodoc trip with Shane Lowry and Luke Donald
McIlroy revealed that his recent trip down to Cornwall with Shane Lowry and Luke Donald was purely for leisure.
“I played St Enodoc, whenever that was, last Friday,“ he said.
“And yeah, we spent four days down in Cornwall with the Donalds and the Lowrys.
“I had never, like I had never heard of it before, and it’s I guess a top hundred course in the world. It’s really cool. But that was more just for enjoyment.
“You’re going out to play, but yeah, it’s nice, you start hitting the ball off links turf again and start to play in a little bit more wind.
“Your links instincts come back, even if it is for fun. The stuff that you’ve grown up with starts to come back to you.“
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