World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has revealed his two big regrets in his life and neither have anything to do with last year’s Masters meltdown.
In an article in this month’s Golf Digest McIlroy is among 62 golfers and TV pundits asked to single out their biggest regrets on and off the golf course.
McIlroy’s golfing regret was missing a five foot putt at the first extra play-off hole in the 2008 Omega European Masters at the Cras-sur-Sierre course in Switzerland.
Rory McIlroy's biggest golfing regret - losing to Frenchman Jean Francois Lucquin at the 2008 Omega European Masters.
Missing the putt handed victory to Frenchman Jean Francois Lucquin. Lucquin was interviewed by www.golfbytourmiss.com last week during the Maderia Islands Open as he now shares something in common with American Rickie Fowler. They have both beaten McIlroy in a play-off with Fowler having defeated McIlroy last fortnight to capture the Wells Fargo Championship.
“My golf regret isn’t the drive off the 10th tee at Augusta,” said McIlroy in the article.
“If I had one shot to play over, it would be the five-foot putt I missed to win at Crans in 2008 [the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland]. That would have been my first victory as a professional. I hit such a bad putt. It was a five-footer straight up the hill, and I pulled it. Not pretty. And, to make things worse, I lost the playoff.”
And when McIlroy was asked his regrets off the course there was no mention of the bitter bust up with long-time former girlfriend, Holly Sweeney.
“I’ve had a good life so far, and if anything, I regret not staying in school one more year,” said McIlroy.
“I left when I was 16, and that is maybe a little young. I’m not sure what I missed, of course, but I think I would’ve enjoyed one more year with all my friends.”
Darren Clarke was also among those interviewed by Golf Digest and singled out his golfing regret as the second shot he played during the final round of the 1997 Open Championship at Royal Troon, the shank that saw his ball come to rest out-of-bounds on the Ayrshire beach.
“Through all my successes and failures, there is no one shot I’d take back,” said Clarke.
“To get to where I have in the game, you need to experience the bad to appreciate the good. So I wouldn’t take any back. That isn’t to say particular shots in my life have not been important. I could have said my tee shot off the second tee at Troon in the final round of the 1997 Open.
“But that would have been a shallow answer. I really feel that you have to have the bad times, the disappointments, to appreciate the good times.”
And away from the golf course.
“I’ve made many mistakes and I would need too many mulligans,” he said.
“But I’m trying hard not to need any more. The first cigarette is one of those mistakes, of course. But, then again, I smoke–never touch drugs–and behave like a relatively normal human being, even if I would prefer not to smoke. The bottom line is that I’ve made many mistakes, some bigger than others. And I’m trying not to make any more.”
* You can read all 62 ‘regrets’ in the June edition of Golf Digest.
