The Irish Golf Club Gazette: Rory Ready for Woods

12/05/2013

Rory Ready for Woods

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Rory McIlroy plays one last tournament the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods this week. The last event before in what has been a largely frustrating 2013 campaign.

But a win last Sunday at the Emirates Australian Open has given him the flavour of success once again and no doubt he would like to sign off on a triumphant note at Sherwood Country Club.

"I'm happy this is the last event of the year," McIlroy told reporters, "It will be nice to have a few weeks off.

"This last part of the season was all about trying to build momentum going into 2014, and I feel like for the most part I've done that.

"A couple of good finishes in Asia and I got a win in Australia. I'd love to get myself in the mix this week and finish the season off on a really high note."

Although McIlroy was delighted to end his title drought with a one-shot victory over Adam Scott at Royal Sunday Golf Club, he never felt he needed that win.

"Did I need the win? Probably not," McIlroy said. "Was it nice to get the win? Of course. But I felt like I saw enough good golf in there to know that it was very close, and it wasn't going to be long before I did win.

"Regardless of the results, I knew that my game was coming around, and that was the most important thing. What I was happy with the most was the limited amount of times that I have gotten in contention this year, I have played well.

"I have played well down the stretch. I've played well under pressure, and that is something that I really have improved on the last few years."

"I'm very hard on myself," said the 24-year-old, who clinched his second major title by a record eight shots at last year's PGA Championship.

"I feel like I'm emotionally connected to my golf game in terms of, if I play bad, I'll be in a bad mood. If I play well, I'll be in a good mood. The way I play golf shouldn't determine who I am as a person.

"That's sort of carried through not just in my golf game, it's just how I am, my demeanour and everything. That's something I feel like I've gotten better at and something I need to continue to get better at."

Asked if he was prepared for Thursday's opening round at Sherwood, McIlroy smiled: "Yeah, I'm in a great mood. I'm happy."