Is this the light at the end of the tunnel for Rory McIlroy?
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If Rory McIlroy is to be believed, his post-Masters come down is over. And with an Open in his homeland and a Ryder Cup on the way, it couldn’t have been better timed…
Rory McIlroy might be back. He wasn’t gone for long but the post-Masters hangover has been clear for all to see.
The Northern Irishman captured his fifth major, almost 11 years after his fourth, and completed the career Grand Slam at Augusta National in April.
It was a seismic achievement that was felt throughout the sporting world. The man himself has described it as scaling his Mount Everest. It’s only natural, then, for that to be followed by a dip.
He finished in a tie for 47th at the PGA Championship and skipped media duties on all four tournament days after news leaked that his driver had been deemed non-conforming.
On his next appearance, he missed the cut at the Canadian Open. Then he rocked up at Oakmont for a brutal US Open and admitted he was struggling to motivate himself after slipping on the Green Jacket.
However, with The Open at Royal Portrush right around the corner and an away Ryder Cup on the horizon, something might have just clicked back into gear for the 36-year-old.
Conventional logic dictates that when McIlroy drives the ball well, he tends to compete more often than not.
That didn’t ring true at Oakmont, but McIlroy did gain almost eight shots on the field with the big stick across the four days at the US Open, indicating he is perhaps not far from firing on all cylinders once again.
At Travelers Championship, the final signature event of the PGA Tour season, McIlroy explained why he’s feeling so optimistic.
“I don’t think it’s one shot. It’s the repeatability of shots,” McIlroy said. “If I can see something or have a feeling that is very repeatable, whether it’s… on the range is one thing, but on the golf course is the other. I think the proof is in the pudding there.
“Definitely last week, I found a feeling, especially off the tee, that was repeatable, that was working well, and I led strokes gained off the tee last week, which was a big thing for me.”
McIlroy carded a 6-under 64 at TPC River Highlands in his first round since his Oakmont disappointment.
“This is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it’s a slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn’t quite as severe,” he said at TPC River Highlands. “You can give yourself plenty of chances for birdies.
“I just want to see some good golf and see some better shots. I think if you concentrate on that and you’re concentrating on your quality of golf and concentrating on just trying to play to the best of your ability, the result will take care of itself.
“There’s no point in thinking about the result right now. I’m just trying to play as good as I can and make good swings, and if I do that enough, more than likely I’ll find myself in a position to have a chance to win.”
McIlroy also touched on the big news coming out of PGA Tour headquarters this week after it was announced that Brian Rolapp had become the organisation’s new CEO and that commissioner Jay Monahan was set to step away after a transition period.
It is hoped that Rolapp, who was a key figure in helping the NFL become the global monster it is today, can improve the PGA Tour product and McIlroy has already been impressed by what he’s seen.
“I haven’t met Brian yet, but obviously I followed quite a bit of the news and the coverage yesterday,” McIlroy added.
“He certainly said all the right things and has an amazing background, two decades in the NFL, helping them expand internationally and basically become the behemoth that they have become.
“So for him to bring that experience to the PGA Tour I think will be amazing, and I think it’s great that Jay is there to help with the smooth transition also. Yeah, I think it’s a really positive thing.”
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Rory McIlroy carded a 6-under 64 in his first round following his US Open disappointment.
