McIlroy eager to close on Sundays
World No. 8 playing Torrey Pines as he seeks first PGA Tour win since March
SAN DIEGO – Forever the optimist, Rory McIlroy always sees the glass on the better side of half full.
And why not? He is a four-time major champion, has more than 25 titles worldwide and is ranked No. 8 in the world. Life, he’ll tell you, is good. Thus, not even an irritating, steady drip, drip, drip process of coming up empty late on Sundays has him alarmed.
While others have said McIlroy’s inability to win the past seven times he was in the final group on a Sunday has gotten into his head, including in his latest start in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, McIlroy thinks better days, and more victories, are ahead.
“I’m committed to the journey of getting to a point where that’s not a conversation anymore,” McIlroy said Wednesday after his pro-am round ahead of Thursday’s start of the Farmers Insurance Open. “Just got to keep putting myself in those positions. I’m obviously playing good enough golf to get myself there.
“I’ve got another great opportunity to do that this week. I feel like my game’s in good enough shape to do that. I’m just on the journey of learning and hopefully getting to a point where I don’t have to answer that question.”
That journey begins in a tournament he’s never played. McIlroy elected to play the Farmers Insurance Open at seaside Torrey Pines instead of next week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. After three productive days of practice on both the South and North courses, McIlroy said he made the right decision.
He had some familiarity with Torrey Pines after watching the Farmers Insurance Open and the 2008 U.S. Open on TV, but he was pleasantly surprised at what he came to learn about the courses after three days.
“It does play very different than I thought it was going to play,” said McIlroy, who last won in the 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. “There are some holes that you’ve got a bit of a
“I’m committed to the journey of getting to a point where that’s not a conversation anymore.” Rory McIlroy On being winless since March
Pebble Beach feel about it, the greens are sort of small, narrow fairways. It’s good. I like coming to new golf courses, the process of learning them, what you’re hitting off tees, good angles coming into the greens, what side to miss on, all that stuff.”
He especially likes the South Course. “I like the design of the golf course. I think it gives you opportunities. Even if you do hit it off line, you have areas to run the ball up onto the green, you don’t have to fly it all the way there,” he said. “It’s a long and narrow golf course, but it gives you chances and gives you opportunities to show your recovery skills and show your short game. I like that about it a lot. It’s not just a brutal golf course from start to finish; it does give you opportunities to make amends.”
Both courses are on the soft side after last week’s unrelenting storms, and that gives McIlroy and his length an advantage. So he likes the courses, the weather has been ideal, his game is in form and he’s coming off a two-week break. With his mind in the right place, he wants to be in the last group on Sunday again, no matter what the recent past shows.
“I’ve always liked the look of this event, and it’s such a strong field,” McIlroy said. “I’ve alluded to the fact that I want to play in the strongest possible tournaments each and every week. I’m happy to be here because of that.
“I’m ready to go.”