Rory McIlroy has opened up about his recent struggles with motivation following his long-awaited victory at The Masters earlier this year.
The win at Augusta completed the career Grand Slam for the Northern Irishman, and while it was a dream come true, it also created an unexpected emotional lull.
“The last few weeks I’ve had a couple weeks off, and grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is maybe a little tougher than it used to be,” McIlroy said this week ahead of the Canadian Open. “You have this event in your life that you’ve worked towards and it happens, sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again.”
It’s the kind of honesty not often heard from top athletes, especially those at the peak of their sport. Rory McIlroy’s motivation after The Masters victory has clearly taken a hit, and he hasn’t shied away from admitting it.
The 35-year-old said he used his recent time off for a “reset,” stepping away from the course to mentally regroup. “I think the last two weeks have been good for me just as a reset, just to sort of figure out where I’m at in my own head, what I want to do, where I want to play,” McIlroy shared. “I thought it was a good time to reset some goals. I’ve had a pretty good first half of the season, and I want to have a good second half of the season now, too.”
McIlroy also addressed the difficult PGA Championship outing last month, where he made headlines not only for his poor performance but also for skipping post-round media sessions. The week was complicated by news that his driver had been declared nonconforming just before the tournament started.
“I didn’t play well the first day, so I wanted to go practice,” McIlroy explained. “Second day, we finished late. I wanted to go back and see Poppy before she went to bed. The driver news broke. I didn’t really want to speak on that. Saturday, I was supposed to tee off at 8:20 in the morning. I didn’t tee off until almost 2 o’clock. I was just tired. Then Sunday, I just wanted to get on the plane and go back to Florida.”
Now back in action at the Canadian Open, McIlroy is hoping the break will pay off and reignite his competitive fire. With the U.S. Open and The Open Championship still ahead, he’ll need to find the drive that’s made him one of the sport’s most successful players. His fans and rivals alike will be watching closely to see if this “reset” translates into another big win in the second half of the season.
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