Rory McIlroy feels freed up for the rest of major season after surviving what should be the most difficult round of his life. That makes him a dangerous contender next week at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where he’s already won four times.
“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 said Wednesday at the PGA Tour’s Truist Championship, his first individual event since his long-awaited Masters win that completed his career Grand Slam.
“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 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.”
McIlroy’s victory at Augusta National was his first major win in 11 years, tying the record for the longest all-time gap between Grand Slam titles. It came in typically dramatic fashion – double-bogeying his first hole to fall out of the lead, rallying to build a comfortable advantage, then navigating a roller-coaster finish before beating Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff.
“Defeating my own mind was sort of the big thing for me and getting over that hurdle,” McIlroy said. “Look, I’m just glad that it’s done. I don’t ever want to 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.”
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for McIlroy since Augusta. He flew home to Northern Ireland to see his parents, swing coach Michael Bannon and a few friends. He teamed with Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, made a New York City media tour, then returned to South Florida to start prepping with Bannon for the year’s second major.
“I’m excited to get back to being a golfer,” he said.
