McIlroy confirms Hero World Challenge appearance

Bernie McGuire

14th October 2021

Rory McIlroy will wind-up his season with confirmation he’ll tee-up in the Tiger Woods hosted Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

McIlroy, who contested the event back in 2014 when hosted at the Isleworth Club in Florida, confirmed his attendance in the December 2^nd commencing event ahead of teeing-up later today in the CJ Cup in Las Vegas and his return to competition for a first occasion since last month’s Ryder Cup.

The current World No. 14 indicated also he would compete in the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, the event he captured in 2012. McIlroy’s last trip to Dubai at the end of the year was in 2019 where he shared fourth place at Jumeirah Estates.

“So, for the rest of the year I’m going to play here, I’ll play the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and then I’ll play Hero World Challenge,” he said.

“Sort of liking these limited field events, they feel quite nice. And then I’m not sure where I’m going to start next year; it could be Maui, it could be the Middle East. Haven’t quite made that decision yet. After this week I’ve got four weeks off and I think that’s when I’ll decide.”

In returning to competition today McIlroy addressed his outpouring of emotion soon after defeating Xander Schauffele 3&2 in the opening match of a continuing hapless European presence along the shores of Lake Michigan.

It was a second straight occasion that McIlroy has been in a losing European team competing on US soil.

“I don’t necessarily get that emotional about golf, so I guess in that way it surprised me but, as you know, it’s a very emotionally charged week,” said McIlroy.

“There were so many different thoughts and emotions. There was relief that I won a point, there was frustration that I didn’t get more out of myself and disappointment I didn’t do more for the team, so there were so many sorts of different emotions sort of going through me there and it was all just a little overwhelming in a way.

“But I think it was a good thing for me. I think I realised a couple of things about myself that I hadn’t, or maybe I had known but I was maybe trying to keep down and not let them out. I was surprised at how emotional I got, but then after a little bit of reflection over the last couple of weeks, I realised why I did get that way.”

Today’s tee-times – (Irish time)