The roar from Royal Portrush's 12th green on Saturday afternoon could wake the dead. Rory McIlroy had just drained a lengthy eagle putt, and all of Northern Ireland believed magic was possible. McIlroy's third-round 66 built major championship dreams.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Rory McIlroy gave the home crowds exactly what they craved on Saturday: He used the traditional third-round “moving day’’ to make a move up the leaderboard. McIlroy, who began the day at 3-under par, seven shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler, activated the huge Portrush crowds with a third-round 5-under-par 66.

Rory McIlroy fed off a wave of his fans' euphoria to shoot a brilliant third-round 66 at Portrush on Saturday and remain in contention to win his second British Open title.

Here's what to know about McIlroy's roots, from his hometown and upbringing, to his young golf career before he emerged as one of the best players in the world. McIlroy was born in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland in 1989. His father was also from Holywood, while his mother was from Lurgan, County Armagh.

We're replacing BBC Sounds outside the UK and bringing you BBC.com, a seamless way to read, watch, and listen - all in one place.

By the time Rory McIlroy finished his first practice round for the British Open at Royal Portrush, a big crowd that weathered rain and sunshine was waiting to see him finish.

Rory McIlroy shot 1 under Thursday at Royal Portrush, a better start than the first time he played the British Open at the Northern Ireland course near home.

HOLYWOOD, Northern Ireland — Two decades before Rory McIlroy’s career-defining triumph, when he finally conquered his Masters demons with an emotional rollercoaster of a win at Augusta National, he did, in fact, already own a green jacket.

At this time six years ago, Rory McIlroy was already on his way home, heartbroken about missing the cut in his first "home" British Open.