Rory McIlroy has vowed to change his approach to golf after he admitted that he has not been able to enjoy his success in the sport for the last five years
Rory McIlroy has admitted that his intense focus on his career has often prevented him from “enjoying” his victories. He made this revelation while reflecting on his recent disappointment at the US Open.
The 35-year-old Irish golfer gave a rare glimpse into the pressures of elite golf during a retrospective look at his career. He is still coming to terms with narrowly missing out on ending his ten-year wait for a fifth major championship win, having finished as runner-up at Pinehurst No.2 in North Carolina last month.
In a dramatic turn of events, he ended up one shot behind eventual winner Bryson DeChambeau after leading with just five holes remaining. After missing two short putts in his final three holes, he handed victory to his American competitor.
Since then, the four-time major champion has taken nearly a month off for some introspection before making his return this week. Speaking to The Telegraph at The Renaissance Club, he said: “I need to take a step back and appreciate what I’ve done in my career and in my life and enjoy my success. I don’t really enjoy my success and I haven’t I would say for the last five.
“I haven’t been on a vacation in probably four or five years. So I think just stepping back and enjoying myself a little bit more away from my game is the thing. Have some fun. I live on a golf course and it’s so easy to just go out there at 7pm and hit a few balls. So I think being able to just get away from it and give yourself that free headspace of not thinking about golf is a good thing.”
Rory McIlroy has provided some insight into how he has been able to dust himself down after his recent disappointment at the US Open
