Rory McIlroy says he is feeling better than he has all year as he prepares to defend his Dubai Duty Free Irish Open title at Portstewart this week.
McIlroy has been dealing with a rib injury that has hampered his performances this season, and the four-time major winner missed the cut at last month's US Open.
This week is just the fourth time McIlroy will have teed it up since the Masters in April, but the world No.4 is happy he is managing the lingering problem.
"It's definitely the best that I've felt all year," McIlroy told the European Tour.
"I'm just learning to manage it - it's one of these injuries, there'll be remnants of it for six or 12 months - so it's all about managing it and managing the load and the amount of golf balls that I hit.
"It gives me a bit more time to work on my putting," he joked. "But I feel good. Swing feels good, I feel like I'm in a good place and I'm excited to get on a run of events now."
McIlroy created a career highlight with a superb finish to the final round at the K Club, as he fended off the charge of Scotland's Russell Knox to win the tournament he has hosted since 2015 through his Rory Foundation.
"I've thought about that day a lot, especially coming up those last few holes," McIlroy said. "I was one behind Russell Knox on 16 and I hit those two shots into 16 and it was birdie to a bogey and all of a sudden I went from one behind to one ahead.
"Then with eagle on the last it was the perfect way to end what was pretty much a perfect week. Hopefully I'm able to emulate that this year.
"I think it's going to be the best Irish Open ever. One of the things I wanted to do with hosting the Irish Open is to get it on a links golf course, so for it to be on Portstewart, one of the best links courses we have in the country, with an unbelievable field, I'm excited to be a part of it."
That field has been attracted by the record prize fund in excess of €6million and the chance to play a top links course a fortnight before the Open Championship, and includes four of the world's top 11 players.
McIlroy will tee off in Thursday's first round in a glamour three-ball with tournament debutants Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Spanish rising star Jon Rahm at 1:20pm, while Graeme McDowell is joined by Olympic champion Justin Rose and England's Tommy Fleetwood in another star group at 8:20am.
Paul Dunne goes off just before McIlroy in the company of England's Tyrell Hatton and Lee Westwood, while 2009 winner Shane Lowry (8:10am) is playing with Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters and world No.28 Rafa Cabrera-Bello.
Padraig Harrington, winner in 2006, is partnered by Andy Sullivan and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez at 8:30am.
