Rory McIlroy sympathises with England cricketer Jonathan Trott returning home but is backing Australia to regain the Ashes.
The 32-year old Trott left Australia after England’s humbling First Test loss to Australia in Brisbane citing a stress-related condition.
Trott’s departure was a field day for Australian newspapers with the Sydney Daily Telegraph running the headline on the front page: “Trott takes his bat and ball and heads home’.
However it prove to be more serious than that and with McIlroy, who has endured his own tough year in golf, and sympat
England Test cricketer Jonathan Trott.
hising with Trott.
“As sport becomes so big it’s becoming more common that these sorts of stress-related illnesses are happening,” McIlroy, 24, said.
“It’s becoming more common that these sorts of stress-related illnesses are happening.”
“Hopefully he gets home and spends some time with his family and recovers and can come back.”
The Northern Irishman’s struggles on the course saw him drop from No. 1 in the world to sixth on the rankings following a winless run in 2013.
McIlroy’s best finish this season was a runner-up spot in the Valero Texas Open and also joint second in the recent Korean Open, and he admits it has been tough going especially dealing with all the media questions about his form slump.
“It’s been a long year, I guess mentally more than physically,” McIlroy said.
“Physically, golf doesn’t take that much out of you but mentally it’s quite draining, especially this year for me.
“It’s not just the golf and being frustrated with my game, but having to answer the questions and having to come up with reasons why I’m not playing well and all that stuff.”
Speaking to media, McIlroy revealed he was a keen cricket fan and often watched the Ashes in the wee hours of the morning as a youngster back in Northern Ireland.
Asked who he wanted to win the current series, McIlroy replied: “Anyone but England isn’t it?”
“I must say I do like when the Ashes is on, and I remember years ago when the Ashes were on getting up at midnight to watch the first bowled in the Boxing Day Test match or something like that,” the world number six continued.
“The Aussies had a convincing victory up there jn Brisbane so maybe more of the same. Hopefully more of the same.”
The fierce sledging of the first Ashes Test – and its subsequent fall-out – hadn’t escaped McIlroy, however. The Australian Open drawcard said verbal exchanges between players appeared to slide to new lows.
“I think with those boys the sledging this year has probably been a bit worse than other years as well. It looks like they’re having a go at each other after every ball,” he said.
“It would tough. It would be really tough to take that for however long you’re out there for. They seem to really get at each other’s throat whenever they’re in there.”
But he wants to end a difficult year on a high with a positive showing at the Australian Open in Sydney which starts on Thursday.
The tournament is the first event in a new qualifying series for the 2014 Open Championship with three places for next year’s major at Royal Liverpool available.
“I’ve said for the last couple of months I just wanted to try to finish this season strongly and get some momentum to go into 2014,” said McIlroy.
“This would be the perfect place to get that first win of the year and give me a springboard into next season.”
