Rory McIlroy might have to readjust his focus after completing a dream year but he insists that he is still motivated to win more of golf’s biggest titles with more majors and a record haul of Race to Dubai titles on his agenda.
McIlroy climbed his Everest in April when he won the Masters to become just the sixth player to win the Career Grand Slam. The DP World Tour honoured his achievement by creating a new award in his name for the best performing player from the tour in the majors but McIlroy is still intent on adding to his legacy.
“I don’t think my desire’s gone,” said McIlroy who can cap off a landmark year with a fourth successive Race to Dubai crown and a seventh in all which would bring him to within one of Collin Montgomerie’s record haul of eight.
“It’s certainly not gone. But I think it’s just one of those things where I’m not going to have to pick and choose where to sort of place my desire and what I want my goals to be.
“Yeah, I’m certainly not less driven, but maybe just more driven in focused areas. I don’t feel like chasing as much anymore.
“I’m not out chasing the Grand Slam. I’m not chasing these things. I’m very content with what I’ve done in the game. I’m still driven to do more, but you know, it’s sort of a pinpoint to drive in certain directions.”
McIlroy extended his lead over Marco Penge at the Race to Dubai summit ahead of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates where he can overtake Seve Ballesteros’ six order of merit wins and move into outright second behind Montgomerie.
The five-time major winner was emotional when he clinched the Race to Dubai last year and admits that putting his name alongside some idols of European golf would mean so much.
“Yeah, of course, to move from six to seven, to go one past Seve would be amazing,” he said. “To get one closer to Monty would be amazing.
“But I think when I say I’m not chasing anything, I think if I focused my energy on certain tournaments and try to play well at certain tournaments, then the Race to Dubai is almost… it sort of takes care of itself.
“It means a lot to me. These are the people I grew up idolising. I remember my mom and dad bringing me to Wentworth for The World Match Play back in the day. First time I saw Seve in the flesh. I remember watching Monty win it. Just the names that are synonymous with European golf and doing great things for this tour and for the Ryder Cup Team. You know, to be up there alongside them is something that I’m really, really proud of.”
It seems inevitable that McIlroy will catch and then overtake Montgomerie’s record of eight order of merit titles. But the Northern Irishman feels the Scotsman’s triumphs are underrated given that he held off some of Europe’s finest when the European Tour was arguably in its pomp before the migration to the PGA Tour.
“I think it’s amazing to have that sustained excellence for that long. There’s a lot of people that can have a good year or a two-year run. But to sustain that for seven years straight, it probably doesn’t get talked about enough, especially in that golden age of European golf where he’s going up against Faldo and Lyle and Langer and Woosie. Not saying that this isn’t a pretty good generation, too, but he had to fend off some really tough competition.”
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