Rory McIlroy has warned his rivals that he is playing with the biggest pile of house money imaginable as the Northern Irishman prepares for his first major since completion of the career grand slam.
McIlroy will tee up on Thursday morning in the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow – a venue where he has tasted victory four times – a month after claiming the Masters. McIlroy’s emotional glory at Augusta National made him just the sixth golfer in history to win all four men’s majors.
“I have achieved everything that I’ve wanted,” McIlroy said. “I have done everything I’ve wanted to do in the game. I dreamed as a child of becoming the best player in the world and winning all the majors. I’ve done that. Everything beyond this, for however long I decide to play the game competitively, is a bonus.”
Every McIlroy interview now reflects upon Masters Sunday, when he fell to the ground amid moving scenes after securing a playoff success over Justin Rose. McIlroy’s triumph has reverberated way beyond sport.
“I’ve tried not to watch it a lot because I want to remember the feelings,” said McIlroy of his immediate celebration. “I’ve talked about this before, but I think when I rewatch a lot of things back, I then just remember the visuals of the TV rather than what I was feeling and what I was seeing through my own eyes. So I haven’t tried to watch it back too much. But anytime I have, I well up. I still feel like I want to cry.
“It was an involuntary. I’ve never felt a release like that before and I might never feel a release like that again. That could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing and it was a very cool moment.”
Bryson DeChambeau, who played in McIlroy’s company during the final round at Augusta, rather pointedly stated that the champion did not speak with him on the course. The American, who may well also be in the US PGA mix, had slumped to a closing 75 for a share of fifth.
“I don’t know what he was expecting,” McIlroy said. “We’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not going to try to be his best mate out there.
“Look, everyone approaches the game in different ways. I was focused on myself and what I needed to do. That’s really all that it was. It wasn’t anything against him. It was just I felt that’s what I needed to do to try to get the best out of myself that day.”
It is telling – and deliberate – that McIlroy will not publicly set more professional targets. He is now within one, say, of Nick Faldo’s major haul of six. Faldo’s tally is the highest by a European in the major era.
“I think everyone saw how hard having a north star is and being able to get over the line,” he said. “If I can just try to get the best out of myself each and every week, I know what my abilities are. I know the golf that I can play. If I keep turning up and just trying to do that each and every week, especially in these four big ones a year, I know that I’ll have my chances.
“I’ve always said I’m never going to put a number on it. I’ve talked about trying to become the best European ever or the best international player ever or whatever that is. The numbers tell one story, but it mightn’t be the full story.
“I feel like I sort of burdened myself with the career grand slam stuff and I want to enjoy this. I want to enjoy what I’ve achieved and I want to enjoy the last decade or whatever of my career. I don’t want to burden myself by numbers or statistics. I just want to go and try to play the best golf I can.”
McIlroy’s chances in Charlotte appear to increase with every falling raindrop. Quail Hollow has been battered by precipitation since Friday, meaning McIlroy’s distance and accuracy with driver in hand should be extra valuable. In 13 Quail Hollow starts, McIlroy has posted nine top 10s. His score to par over that period is 102 under.
“I think early in my career that these conditions favoured me more,” McIlroy explained. “But I believe that Pinehurst [at the US Open] last year favoured me. I believe that firm conditions favour me. I believe that any conditions that we play in, I have the abilities and I have the skill set to excel.”
McIlroy was stern-faced when asked if there was any element of his game he would swap with another player in this sport. “I wouldn’t trade,” said the 36-year-old. He has no apparent need to either.
