Rory McIlroy could never be described as a slow burner but he’s looking to continue his recent upward trajectory with a big performance in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open that could be the spark he needs to get back to his Major-winning ways.

Parkland golf is his bread and butter, as he showed by winning the 2016 Irish Open at The K Club.

He played pristine Mount Juliet for the first time in brilliant “Florida” sunshine yesterday but he’s already familiar with the venue having scurried around after Tiger Woods as his boyhood hero blitzed the Thomastown course in 25-under 263 to capture the 2002 WGC American Express Championship.

“I hope to continue that trend, that’s for sure,” he said of the list of Major champions to win at Mount Juliet starting with Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer in the 1993 and 1994 Irish Opens before Ernie Els followed in Woods’ footsteps when the American Express returned in 2004.

“Yeah, I remember quite a bit,” McIlroy said, recalling his pilgrimage to see his idol Woods as a 13-year-old.

“I said to Harry (Diamond), the last time I was on the 18th green here was during the prize ceremony when Tiger won, and I remember I somehow sneaked my way like under the rope onto the back of the green, and I was standing right behind him and his glove was still in his back pocket.

"And like I could have reached and got it and ran; it would have been a good story to tell him but I obviously didn’t.”

When McIlroy returned in 2004, he was just 12 months away from becoming the youngest winner of the West of Ireland and the Irish Close.

What happened next is the stuff of dreams but after seven years without a Major win, the narrative now is about his comeback journey. He showed unequivocal signs in the US Open that his work with swing coach Pete Cowen is bearing fruit, and he’s looking to make a big statement this summer.

“It’s going to be a great three weeks of golf, I’m looking forward to playing here and getting off to a good start on this run that I’ve got coming up – going to the Scottish, going to The Open but first and foremost I want to play well this week and get the game in shape,” said the world No 10, who partners defending champion John Catlin and England’s Tommy Fleetwood for the first two rounds. “I was really encouraged by my play in the US Open so hopefully I can have a continuation of that and give myself half a chance.”

He’s not beating himself up about what happened on the back nine at Torrey Pines – the “sloppy” three-putt at the 11th shortly after taking the lead or the title-wrecking double-bogey six at the 12th – preferring instead to focus on his Saturday 67 and the control he felt most of the day on Sunday.

“The 67 on Saturday was the best ball-striking round I’d had for a long time,” he said. “Everything that I’ve being working on had started to bed in. The game feels good.”

On the strides he’s made with Cowen, he said: “I went out at Torrey on Sunday at least with a plan knowing what I needed to do to play well and have a chance to win the tournament, where maybe previously over the last couple years, it’s been more of a wishful, hopeful sort of thing. I felt like I knew what I needed to do. It was just a much more comfortable feeling.”

There’s just one Major left to play but he feels he’s got many goals still to achieve this season.

“Just give myself a chance at The Open; give myself a chance in both FedExCup and Race to Dubai, and try to have a really good Ryder Cup.”

Irish come up short in Final Qualifying for The Open

Ireland’s 10-strong challenge came up short in the battle for 12 spots at Final Qualifying for The Open.

Royal Dublin amateur Hugh Foley was the best of the bunch, finishing four shots outside the top three in a tie for 11th after rounds of 70 and 72 at West Lancashire.

Nicholas Poppleton, Louis de Jager and Daniel Croft qualified there with Ben Hutchinson, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and amateur Sam Bairstow taking the three spots at St Annes Old Links.

Australian Deyen Lawson, Sam Forgan and Connor Worsdall qualified from Prince’s while New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier, Jonathan Thompson and Richard Mansell earned their tickets to Royal St George’s at Hollinwell.

Maguire and Meadow set for Tokyo

Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow have qualified to represent Ireland at the Olympics next month. The pair also featured in the inaugural women’s tournament at the Rio Games.