McIlroy said he could hear the excitement in the voices of friends talking about his Masters win. And there’s the anticipation of two weeks of a different brand of golf, the Scottish Open that starts Thursday and then the British Open at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland.

Rory McIlroy and fun last crossed paths weeks ago, but the 36-year-old Northern Irishman vows to change that at the Genesis Scottish Open this week. He's now two weeks removed from his last competitive round and months removed his win in the Masters at Augusta National,