Rory McIlroy stayed true PGA Tour during the course’s ongoing feud with the LIV Golf. He has thrown himself into the fray in support of the tour over the past few months.
But after he missed the cut on The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass On Saturday, the world no. 3 golfer admitted that the time he spent talking to the media and arranging player meetings had taken a toll on his game.
“It’s just time management,” McIlroy said. “Golf [at tournaments]that’s good, but it’s just more time at home to make sure you’re getting ready, to make sure you’re doing your best to be ready when you come around these weeks.
“That’s where I may have donated some time to some other things.”
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his shot from the sixth tee during the third round of the BMW Golf Championship at Wilmington Country Club. September 20, 2022 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo by AP/Nick Wass)
“Like I said, I’m ready to go back to be a pure golferHe said.
Before the start of the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, McIlroy went to a multi-hour player advisory committee meeting. He also spoke to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan several times. Tiger Woods and others.
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He needed 60 hits over two rounds and lost over three hits on the field while playing with players.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to the gallery after hitting the 16th hole during the third round of the BMW Golf Championship at the Wilmington Country Club in August. September 20, 2022 in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
“Just very blah,” McIlroy said of his performance. “I think the course, you just have to be really fit to play well here. If you’re a little off, it definitely magnifies where you’re out of order. It’s a bit of a mystery. I have been coming here for several years, and it becomes easier for me than others. It’s just a tricky golf course, and [if] you don’t hit the fairways, you have a job for you.”
McIlroy will now turn his attention to the Masters, less than a month away. If he wins in Augusta NationalMcIlroy will become the sixth male golfer to retire from a Grand Slam. Last year he finished second at the Masters.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his shot from the first fairway during the third round of the Memorial Golf Tournament on June 4, 2022 in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
McIlroy plans to get a head start by traveling to Georgia early next week for a few practice rounds.
“Just checking to see if my game is Augusta ready,” McIlroy said. “Make sure I have every chance. Make sure I get to know the golf course again and go there for a couple of days. But, yeah, from now until early April, it’s really just all about getting ready for August.”
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McIlroy will play in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas prior to the Masters. Earlier this week, the tour announced plans to run eight top-level events without cutbacks starting in 2024.