A heavy travel schedule is usually one of the most challenging thing professional golfers face, but Rory McIlroy’s commute from home to work is the envy of most of the field at this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Along with his home in Florida, the world number two and family recently completed construction of a “London” home at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, on the southwestern fringe of the English capital, and he’s feeling very much at home at the DP World Tour’s flagship event.
“I feel like I’m playing two home events in a row, and being as a resident here now, as well,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference where he’s expecting the British crowds to come out en masse the same way the Irish ones did at The K Club last week.
“It’s good to come back,” McIlroy added, referencing his 2014 victory at Wentworth and a string of near-misses since, including a second-place finish to Francesco Molinari in 2018, a runner-up to Shane Lowry in 2022, and a playoff loss to Billy Horschel last year. “I’ve had a good run here at Wentworth. I’d say my relationship with this golf course wasn’t great at the start of my career, but I finally sort of figured it out. I love coming back here and playing. It’s one of the best events of the year. It’s one of the best atmospheres.”
McIlroy’s affinity for Wentworth runs deep, rooted in childhood memories of attending the World Match Play as a young fan. “I came and watched The World Match Play here in 1999, 2000, 2001,” he recalled. “My mum and dad would bring me over, and I would run around this golf course twice. I would run 36 holes and watch the matches.”
Those memories have always been there, but in the wake of his incredible victory at the Amgen Irish Open last week and the reaction, particularly of the younger fans in the audience, brought them to the surface.
“I remember Sam Torrance throwing me his golf ball. I remember Mark O’Meara throwing me his golf — yeah, things like that. I think that’s why I have such an affinity for this place is because I had that experience as a child, and I’ve got great memories from here,” he added.
“But yeah, I mean, even the image, I threw that little girl a ball [and in a clip that’s since gone viral, she burst into tears of joy]. It’s a very cool feeling to think that — it’s not like it’s some great gesture. I’m handing a kid a ball, but what it can do for them, and if that makes them a fan of golf for life or makes them want to get into it or play it more, that’s a really cool thing.”
While the victory at The K Club will live long in the memories of those fortunate enough to be in attendance and to most of those who watched the live television coverage, for McIlroy, the Ryder Cup in just over a fortnight’s time is still the event that’s dominating his focus, even as he seeks another victory at Wentworth.
“Last week was great and I won, but it doesn’t change anything,” he said. “I’m using this time to prepare for what’s coming in a couple weeks’ time.”
Leave a comment