Tag: Rory McIlroy

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Highlights Tours

The Masters Tournament 2024 – McIlroy: “I know I’ve got the potential to do it”

Rory McIlroy in the run-up to The Masters Tournament 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy in the run-up to The Masters Tournament 2024. (Photo: Getty)

In the run-up to The Masters Tournament 2024, Rory McIlroy spoke about the upcoming major tournament at the official press conference. The Northern Irishman has yet to win the ‘Green Jacket’ and is hoping for success at his 16th attempt this year. This would be tantamount to a successful career Grand Slam, as McIlroy would have won every major at least once. The now 34-year-old spoke about his preparation for the tournament, his mentality and special praise from Tiger Woods.

Rory McIlroy’s Tee Times for The Masters Tournament

The Masters Tournament 2024: “I feel like I’ve got all the tools to do well this week”

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Like to welcome Rory McIlroy back to the Masters Tournament. Without further ado, I’m going to open up the floor to questions.

Q. Can you take us through your off-season thoughts on how you developed your plan for bringing out your best performance in this year’s tournament?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think I, you know, this is my 16th start in the Masters, so I feel like I’ve done it quite a few different ways, and I guess just trying to bring a little bit of normalcy into what I sort of try to do week in, week out.

I play 25 weeks a year, and there’s no point in doing anything different this week compared to other weeks, I guess. So, it was nice to — I wanted to play quite a bit leading up to this just to feel like my game was sharp or, if it wasn’t sharp, to try to get it in the best shape possible. I feel like I made a couple of good strides in that direction last week in Texas.

Yeah, it’s just sort of nice to get home after a week and reset. And then I usually try to get into tournaments either Monday nights or Tuesday mornings, and that’s sort of what I’ve done this week. I came up here last week to play two practice rounds at the start of the week. So I feel like I’ve already got most of my prep work done. So it’s just about going out there and being relaxed and being in the right frame of mind. And the more I can do that, the more I’ll be able to execute on the golf course.

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Q. Two things. What would you — how do you feel about having played more this year? Do you feel like it’s done what you had hoped in terms of your mindset? And then just also what’s your — what do you see is the biggest difference in the golf course since you first played here?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think it’s been beneficial to play a little bit more this year leading into not just this tournament but the spring and the summer. I think I’m a little more in tune with where my game is and where my misses are and how to — I think, once you play a lot, you learn just how to manage your game a little bit better instead of if you haven’t played that much and you’re a little rusty.

And I just think that patterns emerge the more that you play. I feel like I’ve got a big enough sort of data set of rounds to sort of know how to manage what I’m doing right now. So I think that’s been a good thing.

Then the course over the years, it’s obviously got longer. I would say some of the areas surrounding the greens have become a little sharper. So, like, the drop-off after the left side of the 3rd green, for example, that drop-off is sharper. The back right of the 6th green now, that fall-off is sharper.

Like there’s a lot of sharpness to the edges of the green compounds that didn’t used to be there, which makes it — the right of the 11th green, which makes it just a little trickier to chip to and just penalizes the misses a little bit more, which ultimately, I think, is a good thing.

Q. Tiger was in here a little while ago, and he said very forthright like, yes, Rory will get it done, he’ll win a Green Jacket someday. I know you have a lot of people in your life who are comfortable saying that, but it does it mean more when someone of his stature says it so forthrightly?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it’s flattering. It’s nice to hear, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game say something like that. So, yeah, I mean, does that mean that it’s going to happen? Obviously not. But he’s been around the game long enough to know that I at least have the potential to do it. I know I’ve got the potential to do it too. It’s not as if I haven’t been a pretty good player for the last couple of decades.

So, but, yeah, it’s nice to hear it when it comes out of his mouth.

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Q. With what’s at stake this week, how much focus have you put on simply trying to enjoy yourself?

RORY McILROY: (Laughing.) Yeah, I think so. I think that’s the — you know, I just drove in probably 30 minutes ago, and, yeah, I think you have to sort of treat this week with the — if I cast my mind back to 18-year-old Rory and I’m driving down Magnolia Lane for the first time, how would I feel and I think, it’s just always trying to go back to being grateful and feeling incredibly lucky that you can be a part of this tournament and you get to compete in it every year.

Thankfully, I’ve improved a bit since my first start here, and I feel like I’ve got all the tools to do well this week. But, again, to bring those tools out, I think one of the most important things is to enjoy it and smell the — I guess not the roses, the azaleas along the way.

Q. Time with Butch, whether it’s technical, and I’m sure there’s part of that, but he’s a great mind manipulator, so when you’re with him — and I mean that in a complimentary way.

RORY McILROY: I was going to say (laughing).

Q. No, he’s like Lombardi, he’s — so when you’re with him, is it nourishing immediately, or is it something that you reflect on over time, things that he’s imparted upon you in your communication with him since you’ve seen him? Is it regular?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it’s regular. We probably text on a daily basis. But I think that, if anyone that has been to see Butch over the years, the first thing he’ll do is he’ll bring you into his office. And we sat and had a 45 minute conversation before he even looked at a swing or even before we really talked about golf at all. Talked about a lot of other stuff.

Yeah, he is, he’s part sort of psychologist, part swing coach. Like I always joke about you spend four hours with Butch and you go away with two swing tips and 30 stories. But you always go away hitting the ball better than when you came.

So, yeah, it was really beneficial trip for the technical side of things, which I think I made progress in that department last week, especially with my strokes gained approach numbers, which is what I really wanted to do.

But, yeah, it’s also just spending time around someone like that that’s coached a lot of the best players in the world and sort of him giving you his blessing on things, I think that’s nice validation as well.

Q. The long-standing tradition in golf is that you sign your scorecard and you say, This is what I shot today. Do you think things have changed in recent years where we should maybe get away from that model a little bit and give more authority to rules officials like we see in other sports? Or do you like the system as it is?

RORY McILROY: I mean, in a way I would like to give more responsibility to the rules officials because it takes responsibility off us in a way. Yeah, but, you know, I think most of you in this room know that I’m a traditionalist. And there’s a lot of things about golf and the traditions of golf that I really enjoy and I almost cherish because I think, if you can play golf the right way, it sort of makes you feel like you can live your life the right way at the same time. It’s a great metaphor for life.

Yeah, I think there’s, you know — I’m quite nostalgic when it comes to those sorts of things in the game, and it would be a shame to get rid of all of them. But we do have — in the top level of professional golf, we do have everyone keeping our score, whether it’s through apps or through walking scorers or through whatever.

Yeah, I mean, I think what happened to Jordan at Riviera, for example, is — it was unfortunate. And obviously we all know what to do, but I don’t think that an error like that should mean a disqualifications from a tournament.

Q. From a mentality and emotional perspective in regards to attitude, when you come into this week, how do you manage wanting to win this tournament but not the desire being so big that it becomes an obstacle?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I would say not trying to win it from the first tee shot. I think that’s something that I’ve tried to learn. It’s a 72-hole golf tournament. I’ve won from 10 strokes back going into the weekend. There’s loads of different ways to do it. I think trying to, you know — and, again, I’ve said this, this golf course gets you to chase things a little more than other golf courses, if you make a bogey or if you get yourself out of position, because it always tempts you to do something you think you can do.

And I’m pretty confident in my golf game. I think I can do most things, but sometimes you just have to take the conservative route and be a little more disciplined and patient.

With a 72-hole golf tournament, you can be patient, you can be disciplined, and you can stick to your game plan. And that’s something that I’ve really tried to learn at this tournament over the years.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks very much, Rory, we really appreciate it. Thanks very much, ladies and gentlemen.

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Highlights Tours

The Masters Tournament 2024: Will Rory McIlroy play at the Par-3-Contest?

Will Rory McIlroy compete at the Par-3-Contest of the US Masters 2024?
Will Rory McIlroy compete at the Par-3-Contest of the US Masters 2024?

The Par-3-contest of the Masters Tournament is traditionally held on the wednesday before the tournament begins. The players spend a day with their families on the golf course and the main focus of this small tournament is on having fun. However, more and more players are considering whether they want to take part in the event at all. As no player who has ever won the Par-3-Contest has went on to win the green jacket the same year, rumor has it that a curse lies on the winner of the competition.

Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll File for Divorce Amid Major Preparations

Rory McIlroy at the Masters Tournament Par-3-Contest

Rory McIlroy’s “game plan” for the Masters seems to be finalised. The Northern Irishman plans to arrive later than ever before on Tuesday evening, as revealed in a practice round with TGL team mate Keegan Bradley.

Even though McIlroy has never won the Par-3-Tournament and therefore no curse can’t be blamed for not winning the masters, the world number two is thinking about eliminating any risk that could stand in the way of a win at Augusta National.

He goes on explaining, he is going to skip the iconic Par 3 Contest on Wednesday in order to “shake things up” in his preparation for the first Major of the season.

Follow Rory McIlroy at the Masters Tournament live

What is the Par-3-Contest

The Par 3 Contest is one of the most cherished traditions at the Masters. Taking place on the Wednesday of Tournament week, this year on April 10th, players, family members, and fans alike gather to witness this special event. Originally intended as a means of stress relief before the main tournament, the Par 3 Contest has evolved into a staple of the Masters since its debut in 1960. Participants, including current players and former champions, compete on a nine-hole course skillfully integrated into the northeast corner of the Augusta National Golf Club. Under the watchful eyes of spectators and often with family members acting as caddies, short shots are played over DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike’s Pond. Yet, the true allure of the Par 3 Contest lies not only in the competitive spirit but also in the familial atmosphere it fosters. Children and grandchildren, clad in miniature Augusta National overalls, provide heartwarming moments as they accompany players with their light bags or carry the flag. It’s an opportunity to celebrate tradition and community spirit, away from the intense competition of the main Masters tournament.

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Highlights Tours Professionals

The Masters Tournament 2024: What Are Rory McIlroy’s Winning Odds?

Looking for his fifth major title at the US Masters: Rory McIlroy. (Image: Getty)
Looking for his fifth major title at the US Masters: Rory McIlroy. (Image: Getty)

Only one week from now the Masters Tournament will hold a new champion. Well, that is of course if the reigning champion Jon Rahm doesn’t defend his title. As per usual, no major is being played without having various discussions about possible outcomes, title contenders or dark horses. When talking title contenders, none of these discussions can be had without including Rory McIlroy. We’re having a look at what the odds for a McIlroy win look like and why even though ranked second in the Official World Golf Ranking, most may not hold him as one of the favorites to win at Augusta.

Essentially, McIlroy is currently not in bad form and has repeatedly won tournaments such as the Hero Dubai Desert Classic or the Genesis Scottish Open. However, it still seems wrong to include the world number two in the tight circle of favorites on par with players like Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm. The reason for this is obvious: McIlroy has not won a major tournament in the past ten years.

The trophy cabinet desperately awaits another major title

His last victory in a major dates back to 2014 when he won the PGA Championship. It marks his fourth major title after winning the US Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and the Open Championship in 2014. Since then, he has been unable to fulfill his dream of a Grand Slam, winning all four major tournaments. Only the Masters Tournament is missing for him to achieve this. However, considering his lack of success at majors in recent years, there are hardly any arguments to suggest why he should fulfill his Grand Slam dream at the upcoming Masters. But let’s stop the pessimism and have a look at the bright side for a moment.

Why there is hope for optimism at the Masters Tournament 2024

With all that being said, it’s not like Rory McIlroy doesn’t perform in his major appearances. In the last five years, the North Irish player placed inside the top 10 at major tournaments twelve times. He just didn’t get lucky enough to win one of them. However his past results at the Masters Tournament were very inconsistent. Last year didn’t go as planned, as he missed the cut, just like in 2021. In between he had a very close shot at the title with his runner-up finish in 2022. In 2020 he finished tied for fifth place.

His current form also suggests that a good finish at the Masters this year isn’t beyond imagination. This year started off great, with a tied runner-up finish at the Dubai Invitational and a victory in the following week. McIlroy also placed inside the top-20 at the Players Championship and secured a third place the Valero Texas Open, looking to build some confidence for the upcoming week.

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Panorama

Rory McIlroy and his wife: Who is the woman at the Northern Irishman’s side?

Rory McIlroy, his wife Erica and hier daughter Poppy. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy, his wife Erica and hier daughter Poppy. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy is one of the most successful players in the world and travels the globe week after week to secure his position in the world’s top three. His current wife, Erica Stoll, has been by his side for nine years. The American from New York and the Northern Irishman first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup, have been a couple since 2015 and celebrated a dream wedding in Ireland in 2017. They have been parents to a healthy daughter since 2020.

Rory McIlroy and his wife: from faux pas to dream wedding

Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll met at the 2012 Ryder Cup, when McIlroy almost overslept his tee time and arrived at the tee just 10 minutes before the start of the round. Erica Stoll, who was working for the PGA at the time, was right in the middle of the action. Three years later, McIlroy and Stoll appeared as a couple for the first time, followed by their wedding in 2017.

The couple didn’t let themselves get carried away and celebrated a real fairytale wedding. An Irish castle from the 13th century was to be the location. The wedding lasted four days and is estimated to have cost the couple between 250,000 and 500,000 euros. The guest list is said to have included golf stars, One Direction singer Niall Horan and actor Jamie Dornen. Stevie Wonder and Ed Sheeran, among others, provided the musical backdrop. A real line-up of celebrities. Afterwards, the newlyweds enjoyed their honeymoon in the Caribbean.

Parents of little Poppy

Five years later, on August 31, 2020, the couple’s happiness was made complete with the birth of their daughter Poppy Kennedy McIlroy. After the birth, Rory McIlroy wrote on Instagram: ” She is the absolute love of our lives. “

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European Tour

Will Rory McIlroy Play the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth?

Rory McIlroy will tee it up at the DP Word Tours BMW PGA Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy will tee it up at the DP Word Tours BMW PGA Championship. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy will once again tee it up at the BMW PGA Championship from September 17-22 2024, and tickets to see the four-time Major winner at Wentworth Club are on sale here.

The reigning Race to Dubai champion opened his 2024 season with a successful Rolex Series title defence in Dubai, and the Northern Irishman is aiming to further enhance his impressive BMW PGA Championship record.

Rory McIlroy at the BMW PGA Championship 2024

With a victory in 2014 and five further top tens – including two runner-up finishes – to his name, the World Number Two will join fellow past champions Ryan Fox, Shane Lowry and Billy Horschel at the iconic Surrey venue this September.

Following a final round 65 to finish in a share of seventh place last season, the 34-year-old went on to inspire Team Europe to a famous 16.5 – 11.5 victory over Team USA at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, delivering four from a possible five points.

McIlroy then ended the year on top of the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex for the fifth time to once again be crowned European Number One.

See Rory McIlroys stats and WITB here

Rory McIlroy: “I’ve always enjoyed playing at the BMW PGA Championship”

“I’ve always enjoyed playing at the BMW PGA Championship, and I’ve had some great results round the West Course in the past,” said the four-time Major Champion. “Wentworth is a place where I would like to add another title.”

The BMW PGA Championship Festival of Golf takes place just outside central London, attracting more than 100,000 spectators each year, with the world class action inside the ropes set to be complemented by live entertainment on the Showstage, and an unrivalled atmosphere in the vibrant Spectator Village.

The G4D TOUR @ BMW PGA Championship will take place at the start of the week, with some of the best golfers with a disability competing for the penultimate G4D Tour title on the iconic West Course on Monday September 16 and Tuesday September 17.


That is followed by the star-studded Wednesday Celebrity Pro-Am which will bring together global celebrities with some of golf’s most famous players in a fun-filled curtain raiser to the main event, the BMW PGA Championship, which tees off on Thursday September 19.

The Rolex Series tournament assumes a key position on the DP World Tour’s 2024 Global Schedule as part of the ‘Back 9’, encompassing nine of the Tour’s most historic tournaments and national opens, running from August to October. It gives members their final opportunities to secure their playing rights for 2025 and also advance to the season-ending ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’.

(Text by European Tour)

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Professionals

Restart after stadium disaster: TGL unveils new start date

The Tomorrow Golf League (TGL) is scheduled to start on January 07, 2025. (Source: Instagram @tmrwsports)
The Tomorrow Golf League (TGL) is scheduled to start on January 07, 2025. (Source: Instagram @tmrwsports)

In November 2024, a fault in the temporary power system and the backup systems caused the dome of the SoFi Center to collapse, forcing the organizers around Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to postpone the originally planned start on the 9th of January 2024. The Tomorrow Golf League (TGL) has now published the new start date.

TGL starts in January 2025

One year late, the indoor golf league is set to kick off on January 7, 2025. “In planning the launch of TGL presented by SoFi in 2025, we have now marked the first three Tuesdays in January to introduce sports fans to this new form of team golf,” explained Mike McCarley, co-founder of TMRW Sports with Woods and McIlroy. “January is a great time of year for fans looking for prime-time sporting events, and the launch of TGL will complement the start of the PGA Tour season and capitalize on ESPN’s advertising machine as part of their coverage of the NFL and college football playoffs,” McCarley continued.

Six teams are currently confirmed. Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, TGL New York and TGL San Francisco. However, only Atlanta Drive and LAGC have full four-man squads so far. The TGL Golf squad as a whole underwent something of an upheaval at the start of 2024 when Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. Hatton was previously a member of McIlroy’s Team Boston Common before joining the Saudi Arabia-funded circuit.

How the indoor golf league works

The Tomorrow Golf League presents an innovative format that challenges the traditional rules of golf. Each event of the season is divided into two sessions, with only three of the four players on a team competing. First, they compete in “Triples”, a 3-on-3 competition over nine holes. This is followed by the “Singles”, in which three duels are played over six holes, with each player on their team playing two holes. If no decision is made, it goes into “overtime”, where the aim is to place the ball closest to the flag. The team that gets two of the three balls closer to the target wins the overtime. In addition, each player wears a microphone during the tournament.

The scoring system is similar to that of ice hockey: a win in regulation time, i.e. the triples and singles, earns a team two points, while the losing team receives none. If the game goes into overtime, the losing team receives an extra point. The regular season consists of 15 events, after which the four best teams advance to the playoffs. These include two semi-finals, which are decided after one game, and a final in a best-of-3 format.

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PGA Tour

Players Championship 2024 in numbers: Birdie records & the legendary 17

The Players Championship 2024 in retrospect. (Photos: Getty)
The Players Championship 2024 in retrospect. (Photos: Getty)

The Players Championship 2024 kept the excitement going right to the end and provided great entertainment over four days. After the tournament, records, a first for the title holder and the realization that the legendary 17th is not known for causing sweaty palms for one or two professionals for nothing. A look at the statistics of the famous island green and other relevant statistics.

Players Championship 2024: Drama on the final day and 1000 beach balls – A look at the 17

On the final day of the 2024 Players Championship, it was once again a real source of despair. On Sunday, as is usual in the final round, the flag was placed on the far right of the island green between the small front bunker and the water (136 yards/124 meters). The PGA pros obviously had their problems with this: Over the course of the final day, only four birdies fell, the lowest figure of the week. At the same time, a total of 18 balls landed in the water, more than ever before in the tournament. Nine players even had to accept a double bogey or more, including Martin Laird, who hit two shots into the water on his way to a quadruple bogey. Logically, the stroke average of 3.34 was also significantly higher than on the previous days (3.09, 3.06, 2.84). Denny McCarthy hit the best shot on the final day, missing the hole by just 1 foot 3 inches (38cm).

Beau Hossler secured a special record on the 17th: with his shot into the water on the 17th hole, the US American recorded the 1000th ball sunk in the ShotLink era (since 2003). American Chris Kirk secured a positive record in the second round. Kirk found the green safely and played his 41st consecutive round without sinking a ball in the water on hole 17. He thus drew level with Jason Dufner, who has played the most rounds without a ball in the water on hole 17 since 2003. However, Kirk’s record streak came to an end in the third round. On the moving day, the American recorded a double bogey, followed by another bogey on the final day.

Ryan Fox celebrated a special success on the 17th. The New Zealander sank an ace on the very first day – it was to remain the only hole-in-one of the 2024 Players Championship.

A total of 47 balls landed in the water on the 17th hole during the tournament.

Rory McIlroy and Sam Ryder set two birdie records at the 2024 Players Championship

At the Players Championship 2024, it was not only the island green of the 17th that set records, but also Rory McIlroy and Sam Ryder. After McIlroy set the round record with ten birdies on the first day of the tournament, Ryder went on to become a sole record holder over four days. The American recorded an impressive 27 birdies over the entire tournament, overtaking ‘Fuzzy’ Zoeller in the process. In the end, despite Ryder’s many birdies, it was ‘only’ good enough for T16 (-10).

Scottie Scheffler achieves a first with title defense and collects 4.5 million USD

A first for an anniversary: At the 50th Players Championship, Scottie Scheffler became the first player to defend his title at the prestigious tournament. On a dramatic final day, the world number one prevailed against Wyndham Clark, who tragically missed the play-off with a lip-out on the last hole. Scheffler’s tournament victory earned him 4.13 million euros (4.5 million USD). But the remaining participants can also enjoy the highest prize money on the PGA Tour.

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PGA Tour

Players Championship: Rory McIlroy sinks five balls in to the water

Rory McIlroy struggled with the water areas at TPC Sawgrass and the Players Championship 2024. (Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroy struggled with the water areas at TPC Sawgrass and the Players Championship 2024. (Image: Getty)

After stunning 26 birdies in the 2024 Players Championship, Rory McIlroy should have earned a top spot on the leaderboard. The iron and short game of the Northern Irishman was solid and his putting gained him several of these birdies. But it looks like, with all the range work going in to the irons, he kind of forgot about his driver. Over the course of the four round McIlroy sank five golf balls in to the water at TPC Sawgrass, more than any other player.

Rory McIlroy sinks Players win

The first few holes of McIlroy’s Players Championship lookes promising, with the Northern Irishman securing six birdies within eight holes. Than a hooked drive followed on the 18th tee. It was the first time he had to take a penalty shot and drop a golf ball, but it was certainly not the last. He bogeyd 18 and went on noting three more birdies an his Back Nine. Than the 7th tee came and with it, another golf ball was gone into the water. Again it was a poor drive flying short left.

And his misfortune continued. On day two he found the water an the 12th, with – who could have guessed – his driver. The only day without a ball lost to the blue in TPC Sawgrass was round 3, alltough even on this day McIlroy had to lock in a double bogey on 14 after a drive going far right into a waste area.

In the final round McIlroy explored a new water area on hole four. This time it wasn’t the fault of his driver. Instead he sank the ball with a wedge and harsh wind conditions. Later on however he revisited the 18th hole left side penalty area and sank another drive at about the same place he did in round one.

So 26 birdies, 11 bogeys and 3 double bogeys later McIlroy finished with -9 on T17. And the author would venture a relatively safe prediction that he will be spending a few extra hours on the range with the driver over the coming week.

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PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy After Players Championship: “I Think I’m Headed in the Right Direction”

Rory McIlroy finishes 19th at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy finishes 19th at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy finishes the Players Championship, the flagship event of the PGA Tour, in 19th place. The Northern Irishman posted a score of 72 (even par) on the final day at the TPC Sawgrass. In the press conference after the final round, he explained why he was not satisfied despite 26 birdies and how the dispute with LIV Golf could continue.

See Results of the Players Championship 2024

Full Interview with Rory McIlroy after Players Championship

Question: You said at the beginning of the week you were kind of in between swings. I know it’s probably not the week you wanted, but do you feel like you’re closer to whichever one you want?

Rory McIlory: I think overall I probably made a little bit of progress from this time last Sunday at the Arnold Palmer, so, yeah, it’s there. I think, after the first round I sort of my expectations sort of went sky high because I was like, oh, I think I’ve figured it out. Then the last three days were a little bit more of a struggle.

But I think I’m headed in the right direction. I’ve definitely straightened out a few of the iron shots, which was a big key for me coming into this week. I made enough birdies, it’s just a matter of getting rid of the bad stuff.

Question: You’re playing the week before the Masters, but do you think you might visit Augusta in advance, or has that been as good for you as you would have liked?

Rory McIlory: No, I mean, I might go there on the way to San Antonio. Might head up there on the Monday and play and then head to San Antonio. But no trips planned as of yet.

Question: It’s always kind of cool, though, sometimes you go with your dad, I mean just maybe just for the fun of it more than anything?

Rory McIlory: Yeah, I’ve done that a lot and it’s really nice and I can certainly do that after the Masters, but when I do it before, I don’t feel like I get a ton out of it. Like in terms of like preparation for the week and actually getting into the mindset I need to get into. So maybe a quick pit stop on the way to San Antonio to play a practice round and spend some time. But as I said, nothing planned as of yet.

Question: It’s been confirmed that there’s a meeting tomorrow with the player directors and Yasir. Do you welcome that?

Rory McIlory: Absolutely. I think it should have happened months ago, so I am glad that it’s happening. Hopefully that progresses conversations and gets us closer to a solution.

Question: Does Tiger need to be involved in that do you think at this point?

Rory McIlory: I mean, he’s a player director. He’s on the board, so absolutely he needs to be involved.

Question: What you do hope their message is? What do you hope to take away from that meeting?

Rory McIlory: The players or the PIF?

Question: The players.

Rory McIlory: The players? That fundamentally he wants to do the right thing. I think I’ve said this before, I have spent time with Yasir and his — the people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice, so Norman and those guys.

I see the two entities, and I think there’s a big, I actually think there’s a really big disconnect between PIF and LIV. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing. So the closer that we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalize that investment, I think that will be a really good thing.

Question: What does PIF want do you think that’s different to LIV?

Rory McIlory: Look, they’re a sovereign wealth fund. They want to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA TOUR is definitely one of those, especially if they’re looking to invest in sport in some way.

Question: Back on the golf, 26 birdies is a record around here. I know it’s nice to be leaving with —

Rory McIlory: Woo-hoo. (Laughing).

Question: There’s been a lot of people play here in 50 years.

Rory McIlory: Yeah, no, it feels, I did the same — I did the same thing at the back end of 2020 I remember, the back end of the COVID year I was making a ton of birdies and making a ton of mistakes, as well, and it was just a matter of trying to figure out a way to keep the bogeys off the card and still make the birdies.

So, yeah, look, it’s not all bad. It could be a lot worse, I guess. If these are the worse finishes that I’m going to have 20ths, you know, I feel like that’s my floor and I haven’t quite got to the golf that I’ve wanted to play to get to my ceiling. Hopefully, over the next few weeks I can work at it and get closer to that level of golf.

Question: Is the volatility swing related or is it an approach thing you’ve seen in the last couple weeks?

Rory McIlory: I think it’s swing related. My misses last week were predominantly to the left. So I really tried to eradicate that this week, and for the most part with the irons I did, but started to get a left miss off the tee.

Golf is a very fickle game. It gives you one thing and then takes away something else from you. It’s just, again, like, I feel like I’ve got all the components there, but just trying to put them all together on a given week. That’s the tricky part at the minute.

Question: Is that bigger picture view that you said — or excuse me, when you talked with Yasir, did you sense from him a bigger picture view than what we’re seeing with LIV?

Rory McIlory: Absolutely. I think there’s a way to incorporate — I think, you know, they’re big on team golf and they want to see team golf survive in some way in the calendar. I don’t think it has to necessarily look like LIV. I think in my mind you should leave the individual golf the individual golf and then you play your team golf on the sort of periphery of that.

But, again, it’s going to require patience. People have contracts at LIV up until 2028, 2029. I don’t know if they’re going to see that all the way out, but I definitely see LIV playing in its current form for the next couple years anyway while everything gets figured out. I don’t think this is an overnight solution, but if we can get the investment in, then at least we can start working towards a compromise where we’re not going to make everyone happy, but at least make everyone understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.

Question: What particularly is it about LIV that you see is the disconnect with Yasir?

Rory McIlory: I think their disruptiveness and his — their disruptiveness, and then his, I don’t know what the right word is, I guess his desire to be involved in the world of golf in a productive way.

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Watch: McIlroy’s incredible par save at The Players Championship

Rory McIlroy impressed on the seventh hole with an outstanding par save. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy impressed on the seventh hole with an outstanding par save. (Photo: Getty)

After Rory McIlroy had a great day in the first round of The Players Championship 2024, things went anything but well for the Northern Irishman on the second day. With a poor round of 73, McIlroy dropped back to T14 and has his incredible par save to thank for the fact that the gap to leader Wyndham Clark is not even wider.

Players Championship 2024: McIlroy’s stunning par save on video

The start of the second round at The Players Championship 2024 was an up-and-down affair for Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman recorded three birdies and three bogeys on the first six holes before his first par of the day followed on the seventh hole. Of course, McIlroy accomplished this in inimitable style. Rory McIlroy’s tee shot found the pine straw. Still, he would go on to save par.

Despite this outstanding shot, Rory McIlroy cannot be satisfied with his second round. The 34-year-old went straight to the range after his round of 73.