Rory McIlroy arguably has little excuse not to find the motivation he needs for the final months of the season, with The Open Championship at Royal Portrush and the Ryder Cup ahead.
It is hard to imagine that Rory McIlroy will be too disappointed to leave Oakmont following a difficult week at the US Open. McIlroy produced his best round of the tournament with a 67 on Sunday to end up in the middle of the pack.
There was plenty of talk surrounding McIlroy’s conduct, particularly when it came to speaking to the media. The 36-year-old did not speak to the press after his rounds on Thursday and Friday, and proved to be incredibly prickly on Saturday.
McIlroy admitted ahead of the RBC Canadian Open that he was struggling for motivation after winning The Masters in April. But perhaps that will change soon enough.
Rory McIlroy explains what surprised him during the previous Open Championship at Royal Portrush
Next month’s Open Championship will take place at Royal Portrush. The course is about an hour’s drive away from Holywood Golf Club, where McIlroy grew up. And he has some painful memories to banish following the last time Portrush hosted The Open.
McIlroy missed the cut in 2019 after opening up with a 79 on Thursday. It was his first missed cut at The Open since 2013.
And following his final round at Oakmont, he explained what really surprised him that week in Northern Ireland.
“I didn’t realise how emotional I was going to be at Portrush. I think that was a thing I was unprepared for more than anything else. I remember I hit a shot into 12 or 13 Friday night obviously trying to make the cut. I remember the roar I got when the ball hit the green, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Just that support and that love from your own people. So I was unprepared for that,” he said.
“I need to just get myself in the right frame of mind to feel those feelings again.”
Rory McIlroy issues positive update about his plans for the rest of the season
It has been such a bizarre season for McIlroy. He won three historic events before the end of April, completing the career grand slam at Augusta National.
His form has dipped dramatically since then, and it seems that his passion for the game has taken a hit too. But the good news is that McIlroy appears to see the coming weeks as something of a reset.
“I’m looking forward to just getting back to Europe in general. Obviously I’ve got one more week over here. Play Hartford next week,” he also said.
“Yeah, we’ve got a lot to look forward to, got our new house in London, play the Scottish and then obviously The Open at Portrush.
“Just trying to get myself in the right frame of mind to approach that. I feel like playing an Open at Portrush already and sort of at least remembering what those feelings were like and those feelings that I was probably unprepared for at the time. Yeah, and obviously it will be my first time sort of in public back home after winning the Masters. It should be a really nice week.”
It is no surprise that McIlroy has not been as motivated after winning The Masters. But perhaps the disappointment of the PGA Championship and the US Open proves to be exactly what he needs as he looks to end his historic season on a high.
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