Twelve months after his emotional Irish Open win at the K Club, Rory McIlroy returns as defending champion at the $6 million Amgen Irish Open with history in sight. He’s chasing a third Irish Open title and a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai crown, this time at Trump’s International Golf Links in Doonbeg. Ahead of the tournament, McIlroy was asked what another Irish Open win would mean to him.

Speaking to the reporter before the tournament, he explained that he has made a conscious effort to improve for this stretch of the season.

“I’ve made a lot of effort over the last few years to, I guess, really focus on this part of the season. I think part of that is being in contention for the Race to Dubai again and to try to equal Monty, and I’ve been pretty successful in terms of that over the last few years.

“I think any time you win your national open, like, that’s a pretty important moment in your career. I was able to do it, you know, nine years before that at the same place. So, I mean, obviously that’s up there. I’d love to win an Irish Open, not at the K Club, though. So it’s a good opportunity to do that this week.”

For context, Montgomerie won the Order of Merit, now the Race to Dubai, eight times between 1993 and 2005. McIlroy has already moved past Seve Ballesteros’s six titles and currently sits on seven, only shy of one title to reach Montgomerie’s record. Moreover, he currently sits second in this year’s standings behind Patrick Reed, adding weight to every round he plays.

Moreover, the Irish Open has become the stage where much of that pursuit has played out. McIlroy won his first Irish Open in 2016, closing a birdie-par-eagle finish at the K Club to beat Russell Knox and Bradley Dredge by three shots. Notably, that win came after he had missed the cut in his three previous appearances at the event. Last September, on the same course, he produced an even more dramatic finish, holding a 28-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Sweden’s Joaquim Lagergren, then closing out on the third extra hole.

This year’s tournament is an emotional moment for McIlroy, especially as he loves playing for his national open. Speaking to DP World Tour, he described how he felt the last time he lifted the trophy. He said he watched his eagle putt repeatedly, not for his own part in it, but for the crowd’s reaction.

“And I said in the press conference, like, there’s this one, like, son and dad that, like, embrace and hug, and it’s just—it’s so cool, like, to be able to have a moment like that and have so many people, like, be a part of it, enjoy it with me. It was very cool.”

Moreover, for this year’s tournament, McIlroy is moving to Doonbeg, playing on the course for the first time since he turned professional. He has already flagged how weather-dependent the layout can be, especially if winds return at the weekend. He also says he has been working on his swing issues after a poor showing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, something he wanted to sort before the Irish Open.

But despite that, he has learned to embrace the pressure it may come with. He said this year’s return feels better than the buildup to his first Irish Open win in nine years in 2016. He credits his shift in mindset, as he chose to embrace the crowds and expectations rather than treating them as a burden. A change he believes has paid off across his career.

That aside, the race to Dubai itself will not be settled this week. It runs through the DP World Tour Championship in November, where Montgomerie’s record will most likely be decided. But a third Irish Open title this week would put him alongside Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, and Nick Faldo as a multiple winner of the event. Furthermore, it’ll keep him firmly in touch with the season’s closing months.

For a player who once stood among the fans chasing autographs at this tournament, the weekend certainly means a lot to him.