Rory McIlroy will tee off at 2.10pm on Tuesday afternoon as he continues preparations for this week's Open Championship .
There will be plenty of interest in the Holywood superstar as he counts down to the fourth major of the year.
McIlroy will be hoping to feed off the fervent home crowd when the action gets under way on Thursday.
Former Ryder Cup captain Tony Jacklin believes the support could prove a decisive factor.
Jacklin was the last Englishman to lift the Claret Jug on English soil at Royal Lytham in 1969.
And he believes McIlroy will enjoy similar support at Royal Portrush.
“I was playing full-time in America like Rory now and the home crowd turned out in great numbers to support me,” recalled Jacklin.
“It was marvellous to play back in England – it was a perfect time really. I was nervous but it was a positive kind of nervousness – not a negative. Rory is going to be the same hot local favourite and will be greeted by the same enthusiasm as I was.
“Rory can feed off the crowd too. It is an important element. Rory is more than capable of winning – he has won the Open before but this will be the first Open in Northern Ireland since 1951.
“He needs to use the support in a positive way. You can’t win the first day but you can lose it. You need to get off to a good start and be in the top 10 or so. How he handles it all will be fascinating to see.”
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