According to Rory McIlroy, he’s reaching a point where he believes he should be the winner of a major event. In an interview with Ewan Murray of the Guardian prior to the 152nd Open Championship, McIlroy made the remark.
McIlroy’s last significant victory was ten years ago today. During the U.S. Open last month, the Ulsterman came agonizingly close to ending his run. It was seen by some as the most difficult loss of his 17-year career.
Though McIlroy acknowledged that his 2011 Masters breakdown and his 2022 Open Championship loss to Cameron Smith at the home of golf were significantly worse, he believed that he moved past the setback with ease. “I have always said I don’t deserve anything from golf but after St Andrews, LA Country Club [2023 US Open] and Pinehurst I am finally getting to the point where I feel like I deserve something,” according to the newspaper. It does not imply that I will succeed. It always seemed to me that saying you deserve something was a sign of entitlement.
In this game, as in life in general, nobody has any right to anything. “All of it must be earned. However, I believe I am in a fantastic position to go get it.”
Prior to The Open on Tuesday, McIlroy is expected to address reporters at 2:00 PM BST. After getting back into the game at the Scottish Open after a three-week hiatus, he was in high spirits when he arrived at Royal Troon. McIlroy told reporters that he hasn’t truly relished his accomplishment during his round at The Renaissance Club, where he finished four strokes behind Robert MacIntyre.
It drops. It rises.
Rory McIlroy Live at The Range. @hsbc_sport | #LiveAtTheRangehttps://t.co/8MeA33or7o pic.twitter.com/Je9jGO8GMj
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 15, 2024
He was adamant that he wanted to be free of the constraints of his employment moving ahead so he could play the game with greater enjoyment.
How exactly is he going to accomplish it? “At this point I would rather lose through trying to win it than lose it through trying not to lose,” he declared. “I haven’t been as assertive over the past couple of years in the biggest tournaments.” How well this new strategy works will be seen in due time.