Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish golfer, 36, recently opened about some of his personal struggles and dreams. It has him well positioned heading into next week’s Open Championship at Portrush. In short, McIlroy has been avoiding press conferences more frequently as of late. He places this blame on mental exhaustion and the pressure that ensues following his historic victory at the Masters earlier this year. He shared his pursuit of restoring his energy and passion as he deals with the current state of pro golf’s ongoing hardships.
With stiff competition at the U.S. Open held at Oakmont, McIlroy was definitely in his element. This was evident by the way he waged war with his scorecard, which included only seven birdies in three rounds. After shooting a 74 in that third round, he knew he had to step it up. Despite that discouraging start, he was confident heading into his final round.
I don’t really feel as if I’ve driven the ball all that well throughout the week,” he said, suggesting a change was brewing. After all of the frustrations expressed by McIlroy throughout the tournament, he channeled that energy into a historic close out performance. He blasted a half-dozen birdies and just three bogeys during that championship loop. He absolutely crushed the tournament, leading the entire group with an astounding 330.3 yards per drive. For the last round he hit his drives an average of 321.5 yards.
McIlroy had to blink back tears as he reminiscenced on his emotional ride from Capturing the Masters in April. He conceded he hasn’t been psychologically tough since that win. … I think that’s probably just me not being there these past three or four weeks.” He continued. He spoke about how he needed to find that competitive edge again. As for the Open Championship, he’s counting the days to tee it up at Portrush in less than a month.
“What surprised me the most was how emotional I was going to be at Portrush,” he said. “If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me.” These feelings provide a glimpse of his emotional attachment towards the occasion, as well as Japan, his homeland.
During the U.S. Open, McIlroy recalled a moment of intensity when he hit a crucial shot into 12 or 13 on Friday night, underscoring his determination to make the cut. “I remember the roar I got when the ball hit the green, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Just that love and that support from your own people that you got to have,” he explained.
Undoubtedly the favorite as he heads into Portrush, McIlroy admits that he must come to the major with a different mental approach. I just need to get myself into the right mindset. I may have not shown up the past few weeks,” he re-iterated. He recognized that after achieving what he described as climbing his “Everest” at the Masters, it is time to seek new challenges.
“Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb,” he explained. This metaphorical quest not only serves as an allegory to his competitive spirit, but the personal journey of self-discovery Smith is on right now.
McIlroy expressed optimism at carrying the momentum from his Sunday score at Oakmont into next week’s big show. He ended on an exciting note, saying he couldn’t wait to come back to Europe. He looks forward to racing on home soil once more.
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