Rory McIlroy has revealed that his dedication to his sport has meant that he has often been unable to “enjoy”
his successes as he vowed to change his mindset following his recent heartbreak at the US Open.
The Northern Irishman has provided some rare insight into the demands of golf at the elite level in a rare retrospective look over his career.
The 35-year-old is still reeling from coming within a whisker of breaking his ten-year hoodoo in terms of his wait for a fifth major championship triumph
– as he finished runner-up at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina last month.
Agonizingly, he finished one shot behind eventual victor Bryson DeChambeau in a dramatic collapse after leading proceedings with just five holes left.
After missing two short putts from his final three holes, he handed victory to his American rival, who duly clinched the major in a stunning turn of events.
Since then, the four-time major winner has been doing some soul searching, taking almost a month off before making his comeback this week. He opened up on his state of mind at The Renassaince Club, telling the Telegraph : “I need to take a step back and appreciate what I’ve done in my career and in my life and enjoy my success. I don’t really enjoy my success – and I haven’t I would say for the last five.
“I haven’t been on a vacation in probably four or five years. So I think just stepping back and enjoying myself a little bit more away from my game is the thing. Have some fun. I live on a golf course and it’s so easy to just go out there at 7pm and hit a few balls. So I think being able to just get away from it and give yourself that free headspace of not thinking about golf is a good thing.”
“I’m committed to having more fun going forward,” the world No. 2 continued as he revealed how he is dealing with his recent setback, adding: “I like travelling, I like seeing new places. Going up to New York after Pinehurst, I enjoy that. I enjoy eating at new restaurants and going to new vineyards and enjoying new wines. A bit of a foodie. I enjoy seeing new parts of the world.”
Having already won 26 events on the PGA Tour, the Ulsterman’s achievements in the game mean that his legacy is largely already secure. That said, McIlroy has been unable to earn himself the green jacket honors at the Masters in his glittering career, with his best showing in that respect coming in 2022 when he finished as runner-up.
With his last major coming in the form of the 2014 US PGA Championship, he will be hoping that his recent disappointment at the US Open can provide a springboard for finally ending that drought – as T he Open at Royal Troon looms on the horizon. Still, the fan favourite is all too aware of just how close to glory he came at Pinehurst.
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Source: New York Post
