Understandably, Rory McIlroy has had a whirlwind couple of weeks.
McIlroy captured his long-awaited Masters victory and completed the career Grand Slam less than four weeks ago. What followed was a mix of celebration and commitments. He took the next week off from the PGA Tour to visit his parents in his native Northern Ireland, then played in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event, where he and Irishman Shane Lowry were defending champs.
He had obligations in New York after that, “bits and pieces” as he called them. The sort of commitments that come with the territory as one of the most famous and accomplished golfers on the planet.
“I’m excited to get back to being a golfer,” McIlroy told reporters Wednesday ahead of the Truist Championship. “It’s nice to get back into the routine again and get back to what I know how to do.”
The signature event at the Philadelphia Cricket Club marks the first standard tour event for McIlroy since his Augusta breakthrough, and it will serve as his warm-up for next week’s PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. He’s won that major twice — 2012 and 2014.
There’s no doubt McIlroy will be on the hunt for his sixth career major win, but for the first time since his 10-year major drought, a weight has been taken off his shoulders.
“I’m obviously going to feel more comfortable and a lot less pressure, and I’m also going back to a venue that I love,” McIlroy, 36, said. “It’s nothing but positive vibes going in there next week with what happened a few weeks ago and then with my history there and how well I’ve played at Quail.
“Yeah, it probably will feel a little bit different. I probably won’t be quite as on edge as I have been for the last few years when I’ve been at major championships. I’ll probably be a little bit better to be around for my family, and I’ll be a little more relaxed. I think overall it will be a good thing.”
While McIlroy is hungry for a return to routine, this week presents a deviation from the usual. This normally would be the week the PGA Tour is at Quail Hollow for the tournament formerly known as the Wells Fargo Championship — now the Truist — which McIlroy has won four times. With the course hosting the major instead, McIlroy will “defend” last year’s title at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.
“It’s a beautiful spot,” McIlroy said. “I feel like we don’t play enough tournaments in the Northeast, but a lot of the Northeast golf clubs are smaller venues like this, and just with how big these tournaments have become over the years, it’s very hard for a golf course like this to hold a big tournament.”
As much as McIlroy wants to push his dramatic Masters win to the rear, he will continue to be asked about it for the rest of his career. He squandered a four-shot lead down the stretch, wound up in a playoff against Englishman Justin Rose and won with birdie on the first hole for his first major since 2014.
McIlroy said Tuesday he always held the belief and hope that he would cross the Masters off his list.
“Look, I’m just glad that it’s done,” he added. “I don’t want to ever have to go back to that Sunday afternoon again. I’m glad that I finished the way I did, and we can all move on with our lives.”
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
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