Home favourite Rory McIlroy birdied three of his first holes to begin a third-round charge in perfect scoring conditions at the British Open on Saturday.

It was a return six years in the making, and it was a return that perfectly encapsulated Rory McIlroy. Making the trek back to Royal Portrush for The Open Championship -- now as a career grand slam winner -- the Northern Irishman experienced a topsy-turvy day as the hard stuff came easy and the easy stuff came hard.