Tag: Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy hits shot of the year to contend for third Dubai win

Rory McIlroy shot an 8-under 64 during the opening round of the DP World Tour Championship to trial Mike Lorenzo-Vera by one shot.

Rory McIlroy probably thought his world had collapsed in July when he missed the cut in the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in front of his home fans. Turns out it was the kick in the butt he needed to take his game up a notch.

Make that several notches.

McIlroy is in contention to win the $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai for the third time after an opening 8-under-par 64 thanks to seven birdies, an eagle and just one dropped shot. He trails Mike Lorenzo-Vera by a shot after the Frenchman returned a 63. However, McIlroy looks far and away the man to beat, especially after his approach shot to the par-5 18th.

The World No. 2 punctuated his round with a 290-yard 3-wood that finished six feet from the flag. McIlroy rolled in the eagle putt and then said: “It’s possibly the best shot I’ve hit all year. I’m looking forward to seeing it on TV later.”

McIlroy has been hitting a lot of good shots since shooting 79, 65 at Royal Portrush to miss the cut by a shot.

“Obviously after the 21st of July, or whenever the Open Championship finished, there was only a few things that were right there,” McIlroy said. “The FedEx Cup was right there and I was able to do that, and winning another World Golf Championship (the WGC-HSBC Champions) was cool. Since then I’ve achieved a few goals I set for myself.

“That was a difficult period (after the Open Championship) and I had to regroup and restart almost. But the golf I’ve played since Portrush has been some of the best I’ve ever played.

“Sometimes these experiences can be a really good thing for you, and the catalyst to being more motivated or learning. I’ve tried to learn from every sort of setback that I’ve had. I feel like I’ve done a good job with that, not just this year, but every year throughout my career.”

Portrush was such a catalyst that McIlroy feels like he’s swinging the club as well as he’s ever done.

“I’m hitting the ball where I’m looking. I feel like my swing is in as good a spot as it has been in a long time. Michael Bannon (his coach) and I have worked hard on that. Somehow this year we’ve got it back to where we like it. It’s very repeatable. It’s as good as I’ve ever swung it, but then factor in the greens, the short game and I feel like I’ve got the whole package.”

The 30-year-old returned from China to find his wife, Erica, had installed a trophy cabinet in their new home. Hopefully it has lots of space, because McIlroy is odds on to lift a third DP World Tour Championship, Dubai trophy.

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Golf’s major championship schedule makes Rory McIlroy fear for casual fans

What makes Rory McIlroy fear for casual fans? Golf’s condensed major championship schedule.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy has reiterated fears that casual golf fans may be turned off the game because the major championships are crammed too tightly together.

McIlroy first voiced this fear during this year’s Omega European Masters, and expanded upon it on the eve of the $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

Major Championship golf now ends in July at the conclusion of the Open Championship. The majors previously wound up in August, but that changed this year with the PGA Championship from its traditional August date to May to avoid a clash with the FedEx Cup.

“I’d love to see the major schedule just spread out a little bit just so, you know, casual fans of the game are a little more interested in golf, not just for five or six months of the year but maybe nine or ten months of the year,” McIlroy said. “Especially with the way the game is going in terms of how important majors are and how much emphasis everyone puts on them.

More: McIlroy chasing five-win season, not Race to Dubai title

“The game of golf, if it’s emphasized only for that narrow window, does that make everything else irrelevant? The scary thing is hopefully people do take an interest in golf more than just those five months a year.”

McIlroy isn’t alone in wanting to see the majors spread out more. Justin Rose is also a critic of the short major championship window. It means players have to cram in more events into a shorter time frame.

Four-time major champion McIlroy has played 52 tournaments over the last two years, the most he’s played since his rookie year of 2008.

“If you want to try to be competitive on both sides of the pond, you have to play quite a bit,” he added. “You know, it’s (his schedule) condensed. It’s sort of fast and furious. I feel like you try to do the bulk of your work December, January, February time. There’s not much time between tournaments once you get to March time to all the way through. It’s not as if you can take two or three weeks off to work on your game and change something. It’s whatever you have for the season, that’s what you have to go with.”

McIlroy hasn’t decided how many events he’ll play next year, a year in which the Olympic Games in Tokyo adds another event to his calendar. “So 27 last year, 25 this year, I think the sweet spot for me is around 23 or 24.  I think that’s a good number of events to play.”

This week’s DP World Tour Championship, Dubai is McIlroy’s last event before he tees it up at the end of January at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open. He’ll use the down time to try to map out his 2020 campaign.

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Rory McIlroy chasing five-win season, but not Race to Dubai title

Although Rory McIlroy didn’t win a major championship in 2019, he feels the year has been a success.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy finds himself in uncharted territory on the eve of the $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. He doesn’t have a chance to win the European Tour’s Race to Dubai despite a stellar season.

The world No. 2 lies sixth in the European Tour pecking order, but can’t become the No. 1 player because he’s too far behind leader Bernd Wiesberger.

McIlroy is a three-time European Tour No. 1. His focus this week is on winning the DP World for the third time. He’s quite happy to take a back seat to players he magnanimously feels deserve to be the 2019 European No. 1.

“I’ve won it three times.” McIlroy said. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to do it. I haven’t played enough counting European Tour events to have a chance. You look at someone like a Bernd Wiesberger that’s played 25, 26, 27 times, whatever it is (28). Those are the guys that deserve to be up there with a chance to win.”

McIlroy has found himself short of tournaments needed to catch Wiesberger because he wasn’t a European Tour member at the start of this season. McIlroy only took up membership in May, meaning a second-place finish in the WGC–Mexico Championship, T-9 in the WGC–Dell Technologies Match Play and T-21 in the Masters didn’t count towards his points total.

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The four-time major champion has no regrets.

“This year has been a great learning year for me in terms of knowing what works,” McIlroy added. “I feel like I changed my schedule up a good bit this year, and it helped, not traveling quite as much at the start of the year. Basing myself in Florida, where I now live the majority of the time and not having to travel too far from there. That definitely helps for the first few months of the year feeling settled, not crossing too many time zones.”

McIlroy is a four-time winner this year. Although he didn’t get his hands on a major championship, he feels the year has been a success.

“I’ve had a wonderful season this season and I feel like I’ve figured out a few things that really helped me. It’s been a good formula this year, and I don’t see any reason to change anything going into next year.”

The 30-year-old has made one significant change this week. Regular caddie Harry Diamond isn’t on the bag since his wife just gave birth to their first child, a girl they named Georgia Iris. Rory has handed his clubs to former Irish rugby international Niall O’Connor, and that means being a bit more proactive.

“Obviously I’ll maybe take on a little bit more responsibility than I usually do and jot stuff down,” he said. “It feels a little bit like when Harry first came on the bag a couple years ago. I took on a little more responsibility writing stuff in my yardage book and pacing stuff out. I actually quite enjoy that part

“Niall knows what it feels like in the heat of the battle. Obviously he doesn’t have 18-stone (252-pound) men blasting at him as he has in the past, it’s a little bit different.

“He’s a pretty good golfer himself. He’s played a lot of amateur tournaments in Ireland, so he knows the game well, and he knows what it’s like, how it feels to be in the heat of battle and be under pressure.”

McIlroy has only had one season where he won five times. That was in 2012. A fourth DP World Tour Championship win would help him match that five-win season, a win that, under other circumstances, would probably have helped him become European Tour No. 1 for 2019.

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Forecaddie: Rory McIlroy has a new caddie — for a week

This week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai will be Rory McIlroy’s last start of the year, but it will be the first for his new caddie.

This week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai will be Rory McIlroy’s 25th and last start of the year, but it will be the first for his new caddie. And the last.

The Forecaddie hears McIlroy’s bag will be toted in the European Tour’s season finale by his pal Niall O’Connor. But the gig is a one-off assignment for O’Connor, who will head back to his regular job in private equity in New York City next week.

McIlroy’s regular bagman, Harry Diamond, is taking time at home in Belfast to enjoy fatherhood. Diamond’s wife, Claire, gave birth to their first child, Georgia Iris, on Nov. 11. Mom, dad and baby are all doing well, The Man Out Front is assured.

O’Connor is no stranger to the sporting limelight. The 32-year-old from Northern Ireland is a former international rugby player. Nor is this his first experience carrying for a McIlroy: he caddied for Rory’s dad, Gerry, at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2018.

Diamond will be back on the bag when McIlroy kicks off his 2020 campaign, with his expected first start at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

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