Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of his fourth FedEx Cup title never really got off the ground at the Tour Championship, where we came up short by 12 in a finish of T23 at East Lake.
While the end of his PGA Tour season didn’t quite go according to plan, it’s far from the end of McIlroy’s commitments this year, with attention turning to the DP World Tour, beginning with an appearance at the Irish Open in just two weeks.
Then there is the small matter of the Ryder Cup before more DP World Tour golf as he goes in search of his seventh Race to Dubai title before wrapping up his year with an appearance at the Australian Open.
Given everything to come, no one would begrudge him taking some time away from the game during the small gaps in his schedule between now and the end of the year.
However, few would have expected him to pop up in a different part of the US, taking in some tennis within three hours of his final putt dropping at the Georgia venue on Sunday.
That’s exactly what happened, though, with McIlroy spotted in the crowd at Flushing Meadows in New York, where he watched Novak Djokovic’s first-round US Open match as the Serb overcame Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 in pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title.
It’s far from the first time McIlroy has been seen enjoying the sport, with the star having previously been spotted alongside wife Erica Stoll at Wimbledon.
He has also been a regular at the US Open through the years, including last year’s tournament, where he watched the men's semi-final between Francis Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz.
McIlroy’s dash to New York for the tennis meant he wasn’t able to watch Tommy Fleetwood end his long wait for a PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship, but he did have warm words for his Ryder Cup teammate after his final round.
He said: “I think it shows how great of an attitude he has towards the game, how resilient he is. Look, everyone knows it's - if he gets it done today, that would be amazing.
“I think we'd all love him to. But if for some reason he doesn't, I think we all know it's only a matter of time. He's playing so well. He's been so consistent for so long. But look, I really hope he gets it done today.”
He also touched on the big occasions to come later this year, saying: “Yeah, it means a lot. Those are two big weeks for me to try to extend my lead in the Race to Dubai.
“That's become a pretty important thing for me. I'm chasing a little bit of history there. I want to put my head down and play well those couple weeks. They're sort of like two home tournaments for me, Ireland being my national open, and then we live pretty much on the course at Wentworth.
“Big couple weeks to try to play well but also sharpen up different aspects of the game going into the Ryder Cup.”
