Rory McIlroy intends to take a step back and have more fun in his life, he revealed in an interview with The Telegraph. The 35-year-old golfer is currently competing at the Genesis Scottish Open, where he aims to become the first player to defend the title on both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
After a mentally taxing US Open, where McIlroy missed two short putts on the last three holes and finished one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau, he took several weeks off to recuperate. He spent some time in New York to clear his head.
McIlroy, who has not won a major title in nearly a decade, believes he has been too hard on himself and has not enjoyed his successes. With 26 PGA Tour wins and a record three FedEx Cup titles under his belt, McIlroy is looking to appreciate his achievements more and plans to take a vacation with his wife Erica and daughter Poppy for the first time in five years.
The couple, who had filed for divorce in May, have reconciled, and Erica was seen supporting McIlroy at the Genesis Scottish Open. McIlroy expressed his desire to step back and enjoy life more, saying, “I need to take a step back and appreciate what I’ve done in my career and in my life and enjoy my success.”
He emphasized the importance of balancing golf with other aspects of life, noting, “Golf and life are so intertwined… I live on a golf course and it’s so easy to just go out there at 7 pm 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. I’m committed to having more fun going forward.”