Rory McIlroy positively took Hamilton Golf and Country Club apart during his RBC Canadian Open debut in 2019. It was there that he made the game look easy, finishing at 22-under par, seven strokes ahead of runner up Shane Lowry.

This year he was expected to return to Canada to defend the title—the tournament would have been played this week but was cancelled due to Covid-19. Instead, the hope is he’ll be back next year when the tournament is played at Toronto’s St. George’s Golf and Country Club, a revered course in the city’s west end that is in the Top 100 in the World, according to Golf Magazine.

McIlroy, the current No. 1 player in the world, was off to hot start in the 2019-20 season, not finishing worse than T5 in seven starts. So, we have to wonder, how would Rory have fared at one of Canada’s great courses, a place that last hosted the tournament in 2010?

Rory is one of the game’s biggest hitters, a player who uses his driver to attack a golf course, something everyone witnessed when he dismantled Hamilton Golf and Country Club last year. In fact, Canada’s Nick Taylor said that when McIlroy is on his driving game, he’s among the hardest players to beat. That mix of length and accuracy is a formidable weapon.

We caught up with Rory earlier this year to get his thoughts on the course.

“Driving is, of course, the bedrock of my game and together with stronger than ever strokes gained off the tee, I’m able to take advantage of certain courses on tour,” says McIlroy. “With my driving in such good shape last year, coupled with Hamilton really setting up for me, I was able to use my advantage over the field [at Hamilton Golf and Country Club].”

While the rest of McIlroy’s game also has to be firing for him to win, there’s no question St. George’s has a similar parkland feel to Hamilton, with par-5s that he could readily reach in two shots, and at least one par-4 that is reachable as well.

McIlroy hasn’t seen St. George’s, but is aware of its reputation: “I’ve been hearing really positive things about it, especially how tight some tee shots can be and it’s risk-reward nature,” he said. “How I approach the course, aggressively or otherwise, will very much depend on the layout. Generally speaking, it often does come down to a little bit of both. Harry, my caddie, will do quite a bit of research and, most likely, get a feel for the course before I arrive. We’ll talk through the course’s features, dangers, where to attack and when to hold back a little. And I think everyone knows me well enough by now – if I can hit driver, I most likely will!”

One of the bonuses for the Irishman is St. George’s is located in Toronto, a city he has significant experience in, and enjoys. In past years, he was known to sneak in to the city with Niall Horan, a friend and former member of the band One Direction.

“I have fond memories of my time in Toronto and Niall is always great company when we get a chance to get together,” McIlroy explained. “Toronto is a city I would definitely enjoy spending more time exploring – so as less time cooped up in the hotel will be preferable. As golfers, we are very lucky to travel to some great cities but with such limited time, it can also be a little frustrating. There’s so much to offer so close to the course, especially at St. George’s, that I’ll have to make the best of my time. Evenings offer a bit more flexibility so I’ll maybe take in a show or gallery and a couple of good eateries will definitely be on the cards.”