You cannot but admire Rory McIlroy.
From the first occasion this journalist gathered among the media to speak with McIlroy in his debut DP World Tour event at the 2005 Dunlop Masters at the Forest of Arden.
Two years on and I stood alongside McIlroy at the back of the 18th green at the Old Course at St. Andrews as we watched Paul Lawrie putting for birdie on the final day of the 2007 Dunhill Links Championship, and McIlroy remaking to me: “If Lawrie misses this birdie putt that’s my Tour card”.
Lawrie missed the putt and McIlroy earned his full 2007 DP World Tour card in just his second tournament as a pro in the pro ranks.
Since that Sunday afternoon at the famed Home of Golf, McIlroy has enjoyed capturing six majors, won 39 other pro victories around the globe and played in six of eight victorious European Ryder Cup sides.
As well, one more victory and he will become the winniningest European-born major championship champion.
What I have admired so much about McIlroy it the ensuing 21-years is that he’s never changed. He’s always been approachable. He’s always been engaging and he’s always been honest.
We saw this side of again yesterday following his super sizzling third round 63 on ‘moving day’ and move into a tie for seventh, just from the front at the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake in Georgia.
McIlroy spoke first, as all players do, of his round initially remarking: “I just putted a bit better. I just wasn’t getting as much out of my game as I wanted to. I pieced it together today and ended up obviously with a better score.”
The World No. 2 also addressed thoughts of capturing the Tour Championship for a fourth occasion saying along what he thought may be the winning score.
Though it was the 14th and final question to McIlroy that had my attention when asked over the course his career what has been the biggest thing he’s learned about maintaining stamina throughout a long golf season?
RORY McILROY: I think once you start to lose your enthusiasm to go to the course, it’s time to take a break. Yeah, that would be my — yeah, there’s been — look, I’ve turned up to events that I haven’t necessarily wanted to be there because I feel like I should be there, and I’ve never — like I never play my — like if I’m going to show up to a tournament, I want to perform at my best and play my best, and there’s been times when I haven’t done that.
It’s frustrating to me, but it’s also at the same time like no one wants to see me just go through the motions and be out there. I feel like — like this is my third week in a row. I rarely do that anymore. I feel like that’s my limit, like if I had to tee it up again next week — like when the playoffs used to be four events instead of three, that to me is tough.
I think the last time I played four in a row might have been in 2024, and in the fourth week, I was like I’m done. I’m never doing this again.
Again, I’m 37. I’ve been at this, this is my 18th or 19th year as a pro. Maybe my fuse is a little shorter than it used to be.
Well said, Rors
Maybe my fuse is a little shorter than it used to be.
