Rory McIlroy: ‘More motivated’ than ever after Masters win
CHARLOTTE, NC — Rory McIlroy appeared rested and relaxed as he ready for his first match since repeating as Masters champion.
Just do not let that be confused with complacency.
The world’s No. 2-ranked participant stated he feels “more motivated” than ever heading into a serious stretch that features the PGA Championship subsequent week outdoors of Philadelphia and the US Open subsequent month at Shinnecock Hills. First up, although, is that this week’s Truist Championship at Quail Hollow, the place McIlroy earned his first PGA Tour victory 16 years in the past and has gained 4 occasions.
“I’m excited for the road ahead,” the six-time main champion stated Wednesday after his pro-am spherical.
It’s been extra than three weeks since McIlroy slipped on the inexperienced jacket for a second time after turning into simply the fourth participant in 90 years to go back-to-back on the Masters.
He described this 12 months’s post-Masters break from golf as “less hectic” than final 12 months’s whirlwind tour.
The 37-year-old spent most of his time at his residence in Jupiter, Florida, though he did go to New York along with his spouse, Erica Stoll, and attended a White House state dinner held for King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
But it is what he did not try this has left him feeling refreshed.
He did not journey again residence to Northern Ireland to rejoice his Masters win like he did in 2025, largely as a result of his mother and father have been already within the United States to see it in particular person. They skipped final 12 months’s Masters in order to not jinx their son’s possibilities of finishing the profession Grand Slam after years of disappointment.
He additionally did not do the media rounds, selecting for extra “chill” time at residence, permitting him to take daughter Poppy to tennis classes.
“I gave myself a good 10 days to enjoy myself and then thought I needed to get back on the range and start to practice and get ready for this stretch coming up,” McIlroy stated.
The stretch begins Thursday with the tuneup at Quail Hollow, a spot the place McIlroy is adored by followers and sometimes will get serenaded with the “Happy Birthday” track, provided that his birthday usually falls in the course of the match.
He was 20 when he gained his first PGA match right here, incomes him quick reputation in Charlotte.
In some methods, he has develop into the town’s adopted golfer.
He has gained right here 4 occasions on a course that units up completely to enrich his size off the tee, together with a dominant seven-shot victory in 2015 through which he established a match file at 21-under 267 after a third-round 61.
“I really feel like this tournament got my career going,” McIlroy stated. “This is 16 years I’ve been coming here, so it’s been a fun place, I’ve had success. It’s somewhere I always love coming back to.”
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, he enters this week because the slight favourite to win (+600) over red-hot Cameron Young (+910), who gained final weekend at Doral.
McIlroy feels good about his possibilities regardless of the three-week layoff that included skipping the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship.
He gained the Truist by 5 photographs over Xander Schauffele the final time it was performed at Quail Hollow, in 2024, however surprisingly struggled right here on the 2025 PGA Championship, ending tied for forty seventh.
“Slightly different setup than the PGA last year, and slightly different conditions,” McIlroy stated. “It’s been very dry here by all accounts, so the greens are very firm. The rough is down a little bit. Sort of more, probably more in keeping with what the golf course was like in 2024, when the tournament was last here. The course is great.”
McIlroy stated returning to motion after successful the Masters a second time feels a lot totally different from a 12 months in the past.
“I felt like winning the Grand Slam was going to be this life-changing thing, and in some ways it was, but in other ways I had to remember, like, ‘No, I still have a lot of my career left and I want to keep playing and keep competing,'” he stated. “So this year I think winning was validation for all the work that I’ve put in over the last few years to get myself back to this place where I’m winning majors.”
Schauffele stated it is going to be a tall job beating McIlroy this week and shifting ahead if he performs the best way he did at Augusta National.
“His best club [driver] was his worst club, and he still won the tournament,” Schauffele stated. “That’s a little scary, obviously, if you’re competing against him.”
Information from The Associated Press was used on this report.