Nine years after his memorable triumph at The K Club, Rory McIlroy has returned to the Kildare venue seeking another Irish Open victory.
The Northern Irishman claimed the 2016 title at the same course, finishing at 12 under par after overtaking Russell Knox in a dramatic final three holes.
Following that victory, the then 27-year-old donated his entire $700,000 prize money to the Rory Foundation, his charitable organisation supporting childhood cancer funds and sports-based community programmes.
"To win in front of my home fans and to look up and see my friends and family there is something very special for me," McIlroy reflected on that 2016 success.
Rory McIlroy has hopes of winning the Irish Open this year
|REUTERS
The Masters champion delivered an impressive second-round performance on Friday, carding six birdies without dropping a shot.
His round nearly featured a spectacular albatross on the par-five 18th hole when his approach shot landed inches from the cup before rolling away.
JUST IN: Luke Littler releases statement after altercation with fan outside hotel
"I couldn't believe - I was hitting a three-quarter 8-iron - I couldn't believe how much it came back," said McIlroy. "Yeah, it looked like it nearly flew into the hole."
The 36-year-old's approach left him with an eight-foot eagle opportunity, which he narrowly missed.
Rory McIlroy landed a dramatic victory at the Irish Open nine years ago
|PA
He settled for consecutive birdies to close his round, demonstrating the improved iron play that characterised his Friday performance.
McIlroy's flawless round positioned him at seven under par, sharing sixth place and trailing leader Joakim Lagergren by five strokes.
The Swedish golfer sits atop the leaderboard at 12 under after two rounds at the Dublin-area course.
The grand slam winner was scheduled to begin his third round at 12.50pm on Saturday, looking to close the gap on the leaders.
His 2016 victory at this venue came after he trailed by a single stroke entering the final holes, demonstrating his ability to mount successful comebacks at The K Club.
McIlroy attributed his strong showing to improved accuracy off the tee, addressing a weakness from recent tournaments.
**SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY GB NEWS SPORTS NEWSLETTER HERE**
Rory McIlroy donated his prize money all to charity nine years ago
|REUTERS
"The reason is because I'm hitting it on the fairway, which I probably haven't been doing as much over the last couple months," he explained.
The Northern Irishman expressed satisfaction with his iron striking, particularly highlighting his approaches on the closing holes.
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
"It was nice to make some good iron swings on the way in...the two par-3s, even the 9-iron into 17, that 8-iron into the last," he said.
Looking ahead to the weekend rounds, McIlroy remained optimistic about his chances. "If I keep doing that, give myself chances, hopefully it will be a good weekend."