McIlroy back in hunt for Claret Jug as Open returns to Troon

The British Open returns to Royal Troon on Scotland's west coast this week with Rory McIlroy back in the field having been unable to defend the Claret Jug a year ago due to injury. The Northern Irishman, who leads a host of the sport's biggest names to have withdrawn in controversial circumstances from next month's Rio Olympics, is bidding to win his fifth major and second Open after his victory at Hoylake, near Liverpool, in 2014. Twelve months ago McIlroy was missing from the field in St Andrews after suffering an ankle injury while playing a game of football with friends.

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