Rory McIlroy’s biggest battle this week will be to shake off a nagging cough rather than any mental scarring that my loom from letting a dream Irish Open title slip from his grasp last weekend.
McIlroy could have had one of the highlight summers of his career but a string of near misses at the US Open, Olympics and now the Irish Open at Royal County Down, just an hour from his hometown in Holywood, has seen him labelled as a ‘nearly man.’
McIlroy was two shots clear with four to play on Sunday but four birdies in five holes, including three in a row to finish from Rasmus Hojgaard coupled with bogeys on 15 and 17 for McIlroy saw the Dane spoil the homecoming party.
“I’m glad for the opportunity to get back on the horse again,” McIlroy said upon his return to Wentworth where he won the BMW PGA Championship in 2014 and ws second in 2018 and 2022.
“I think there may be a misconception that it hit me harder than it maybe did. You know, I didn’t really feel like I necessarily lost the tournament. I felt like Rasmus went out and won it – shot 31 on the back nine.
“So yeah, I shouldn’t have missed the green right on 15 and I misjudged the first putt on 17. But looking back on Sunday and the support of the crowds and that scene on 18 and everything, it was amazing to be a part of.
“Obviously just trying to look for the positives in all of it but happy to be here at Wentworth, the sun is shining, there’s not many better places to be.”
McIlroy hasn’t won individually since imperiously dispatching of Xander Schauffele at Quail Hollow back in May and it’s a decade since he won at Wentworth as part of a glittering summer where he won back to back majors and a World Golf Championship.
“My game is feeling like it’s in pretty good shape and I feel like I have another chance to win a really big tournament that means a lot to me.
“It feels like quite a long time since I won at Quail Hollow back in May, and I’ve come close here a couple of times. I was second to Francesco (Molinari) in 2018, second to Shane (Lowry) in 2022.
“My form at this tournament over the last few years has been very good so it would be nice to just get another win on the board.
“It would just be wonderful to give myself another chance. Every Sunday that I get myself into contention is an opportunity but also a day to test myself and learn from the good, the bad and everything else.”
McIlroy can give himself a sense of redemption if he can win Europe’s flagship event for the second time and all but sew up a sixth Race to Dubai title which would take him level with Seve Ballesteros and just two behind Colin Montgomerie
But the 35-year-old is not 100% and he is on antibiotics to try and recover from a cough which was passed onto him by his daughter Poppy.
“I’m OK, I feel a bit better than I was (on Tuesday),” McIlroy said.
“Poppy’s had a cough for a couple weeks, gave it to me last week. Started feeling pretty rough Monday, Tuesday so went to the doctor, on a course of antibiotics and I feel, energy-wise, better than I did (on Tuesday).
“I’ll be a bit wheezy this week but nothing I can’t handle.”
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