Rory McIlroy is aiming to redefine his performance in the ongoing season with his intent to clinch an unprecedented fourth FedEx Cup title over the next three weeks. While McIlroy has registered two victories worldwide this season, he has also been mindful of certain missed opportunities including the US Open at Pinehurst and the Olympic Games in Paris.
As McIlroy, aged 35, enters the initial playoff competition – the FedEx St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind, he finds himself trailing by nearly 3,500 points behind Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler, currently ranked world number one, has secured six victories at the PGA Tour before landing Olympic gold at Le Golf National.
McIlroy, whilst acknowledging his victories this year, voiced his expectation to uphold a certain personal standard. He expressed a sense of disappointment on missing opportunities to add to his win tally this year. However, he remains hopeful for the remaining three PGA Tour tournaments of the season, and reiterated that a good performance here could elevate the season as significantly successful.
He further stated that the three weeks provide a considerable opportunity to reposition the narrative of the season, which has served as a motivator and probably the reason for his commendable performance in the playoffs in the past three years.
When asked how he plans to shed the “nearly man” label that he termed himself post the Olympics, McIlroy asserted his need to better execute the finish of tournaments. He recalled instances where he had succeeded, such as Quail Hollow (during the Wells Fargo Championship), as well as the missed shots at unexpected moments in tournaments such as the US Open and the Olympics. He attributed this to perhaps needing more practice under pressure at home to prepare for such moments.
In golf, you encounter various obstacles and minor difficulties which you have to learn to navigate. At present, this is my struggle. My performance is commendable but it isn’t sufficient to secure victory. This is an issue I’m diligently trying to surmount.