McIlroy focussing on longevity as three Ireland teams make European Team Championships quarters
Stuart Grehan in action in Killarney. Picture: Laszlo Gezco)/INPHO
Rory McIlroy doesn’t want the career Grand Slam to be his “last great moment in the game” and admits he’s keeping an eye on the up-and-coming young guns so he remains competitive for years to come.
The Masters champion (36) has set his sights on adding to his major haul at iconic venues such as Royal Portrush in next week’s Open Championship or Pebble Beach and St Andrews, which host the US Open and The Open, respectively, in 2027.
His longevity —17 years unbroken years inside the world’s top 50 and 758 weeks in the top 10 since 2009 — is remarkable and the work he does to keep up with the youngsters is driving him to keep going.
“I think it's one of the under-appreciated things about any sport,” McIlroy said ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, where Pádraig Harrington (53) also tees it up.
“You look at what Djokovic is doing at Wimbledon over the last couple weeks or what some of those guys have done or what someone like a Cristiano Ronaldo is still doing at 40 years old, or Tom Brady in American football; that longevity piece is something that maybe isn't talked about enough.”
McIlroy makes sure he watches trends and adds elements to his repertoire to keep pace with the up-and-coming stars.
“It's my 18th year or tour,” he said. “I've been winning professional events for 16 years, and I just think my drive to keep trying to get a little bit better or trying to look for little holes in my game that I can tidy up, I think that's a big piece of it.”
After admitting to be “flat” after winning the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy feels more rested and ready now to target more success at iconic major venues.
“I don't want that (the Masters) to be my last great moment in the game,” he said. “There's plenty more that I can do.
“I feel like I've kept banging on this drum all of this year, I feel like I'm a better player now than I ever have been.”
As the PGA Tour elite mixes it with the best on the DP World Tour in Scotland, Seamus Power and Conor Purcell play the opposite field ISCO Championship at Hurstbourne Country Club in Kentucky with one eye on keeping their cards.
Power is 128th in the FedEx Cup standings in the race to make the top100 while Purcell is 114th in the battle for 113 strong cards in Europe.
Leona Maguire, meanwhile, continues her quest for major glory at the Amundi Evian Championship in France.
The Co Cavan star is playing her fifth event in a row and after confessing to feeling “exhausted” as she lumbered to joint 48th in last week’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House, she has high hopes at a venue where she shot a major record equalling, 10-under 61 en route to finishing tied for sixth in 2021.
In amateur golf, Ireland brilliantly qualified in second place behind England in the European Men’s Amateur Team Championships on the Killeen Course in Killarney and face defending champions Sweden in today’s quarter-finals.
Buoyed by a nine-under 63 by Tyler Weaver, who aced the third, England topped the eight qualifiers by 19 strokes from Ireland on 44-under-par.
Stuart Grehan was the best of the Irish, eighth individually on eight-under after a 65 yesterday.
Caolan Rafferty shot 67, Thomas Higgins and John Doyle a brace of 71s and Matt McClean a 72 as Gavin Tiernan’s 73 was discarded.
Ireland also face Sweden in the European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championships at Chantilly, where they qualified in sixth place.
The Irish girls face England today after finishing seventh in qualifying at the European Girls’ Amateur Team Championships at Slaley Hall.
But there was no luck for the Boys, who finished a shot outside the top flight in the European Boys' Amateur Team Championships in the Czech Republic.
