Rory McIlroy has admitted that he is to be selective over the events he will play as he balances family time.
rory McIlory has left Gary Player shocked by his comments. (Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Golf legend Gary Player had said he is ‘shocked’ by comments made by Rory McIlroy over his enthusiasm for the game. The Northern Irishman has taken part in just 14 events this year, defending his Masters’ title.
He completed the career Grand Slam last year when he lifted the title for the first time. It means he became just the sixth player, and the first European to complete the feat.
McIlroy has now admitted that he is becoming increasingly selective of the events he plays with. He is instead looking to find more of a balance and spend more time with his wife and daughter.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page
But it’s something that Player doesn’t understand, with the 90-year-old, believing that the success should only increase his motivation to win more.
Speaking to the Golf Supply, Player said: “I hear Rory with the best swing in the world saying, ‘Now I’ve won the Grand Slam, I don’t have the same desire to play a lot.’ Man, he should be saying, ‘I want to win another Grand Slam’. I’m shocked.
“And then he says, ‘I don’t believe in hitting a lot of balls’. Well, that’s c***. If you hit a lot of balls, you build up determination, and it makes you work harder, makes your muscles better. He comes out with very strange things.”
McIlroy finished tied fourth in the Tour Championship, five behind winner Scottie Scheffler.
Speaking at the tournament, McIlroy admitted: “I think once you start to lose your enthusiasm to go to the course, it’s time to take a break.
“I’ve turned up to events that I haven’t necessarily wanted to be there because I feel like I should be there, and I’ve never — like I never play my — like if I’m going to show up to a tournament, I want to perform at my best and play my best, and there’s been times when I haven’t done that.”
Rory McIlroy is currently competing in the Irish Open. (Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
He added: “It’s frustrating to me, but it’s also at the same time like no one wants to see me just go through the motions and be out there.
“I feel like — like this is my third week in a row. I rarely do that anymore. I feel like that’s my limit, like if I had to tee it up again next week — like when the playoffs used to be four events instead of three, that to me is tough.
“I think the last time I played four in a row might have been in 2024, and in the fourth week, I was like I’m done. I’m never doing this again.
“Again, I’m 37. I’ve been at this, this is my 18th or 19th year as a pro. Maybe my fuse is a little shorter than it used to be.”
The six-time major champion is currently in Irish Open action. As it stands, he is tied in 16th position, four behind leader Joaquin Niemann.
Essential 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
£51
£35
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.
This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.