Rory McIlroy relishing busy schedule: ‘This is the time to play well’

Golf

bruced
July 30, 2020

Rory McIlroy believes his game is peaking at the right time as he prepares for a jam-packed schedule over the next several weeks.

Following this week’s prestigious WGC-FedEx Cup Invitational, the players will head to TPC Harding Park in San Francisco the following week for the first major tournament of the year, the PGA Championship.

They will barely be able to catch their breaths before the FedEx Cup play-offs kick off with the Northern Trust event at TPC Boston on August 20, culminating with the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta – where McIlroy is the defending champion – two weeks later.

While the Northern Irishman recently relinquished his World No 1 ranking to Jon Rahm, he admits he is excited about the days and weeks ahead with so much potentially up for grabs – the chance to reclaim his No 1 ranking, add to his major tally, and go back-to-back at the Tour Championship.

“It’s coming thick and fast,” McIlroy said.

“You know, we’ve got this week obviously, which is a huge event, a lot of points on the line.

“The PGA [Championship] next week, a major… the first major of the year, which sounds sort of weird.

“And then obviously the three [FedEx Cup] play-off events.

“So it’s busy, and this is the time to play well.

“I sort of feel fortunate that I had that good stretch of golf before everything shut down. I’ve been able to hold my position in the FedEx Cup, and obviously that’s a huge incentive the next few weeks – get myself in position for East Lake, and trying to go back to back.”

Following the conclusion of the FedEx Cup, there is plenty more golfing action to come, with the US Open at Winged Foot scheduled for September 17, the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits taking place the week after, and the jewel in the crown, the Masters tournament, set for November 12 in Augusta, Georgia.