Rory McIlroy has achieved more in the game of golf than most. He’s one of six golfers to win the career Grand Slam, has 44 worldwide victories and is one of the greatest European golfers in history.
So naturally, McIlroy is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to game improvement. Asked at the Travelers Championship how amateur golfers can easily lower their scores, the reigning Masters champion suggested they stop biting off more than they can chew.
“I think sometimes it’s just more they try to take shots on or they try to hit a shot that they probably could pull off once or twice out of 10 instead of playing a little bit more percentage,” McIlroy said. “That’s boring, but that’s certainly the most effective way to lower your score.”
But when it comes to young golfers, McIlroy’s advice is a little more ambiguous.
After winning the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Thursday, McIlroy was asked for the best advice he’d give young golfers. It’s something that can be applied to any passion, on and off the course.
“Just never lose the enthusiasm or joy for the game,” McIlroy told the BBC. “As long as you have the joy for the game and you love what you’re doing and get lost in that, I think that’s the easiest way to improve. Because the more you love something, the more you are going to do it, and naturally you’re going to get better.”
Earlier this year, in his pre-tournament press conference at the Masters, McIlroy talked about “chasing a feeling, not an outcome.” That feeling? The very thing he wants young golfers to find, harness and hold onto as they begin their journey.
“It’s the feeling of sort of like that childlike joy and enthusiasm,” McIlroy said on an appearance on The Shotgun Start. “I think back to my early days when I wasn’t one for school. So, the last couple of classes in school, and I’m just thinking about getting out and going up to Holywood Golf Club and, you know, playing until it’s dark and just that joy and enthusiasm. It’s almost like an adventure, you know, once you get out on the golf course, it’s like an adventure, and you’re just going around and you’re chasing this ball and you’re seeing shots and you’re just, you’re so in the moment and in tune with your senses, that’s the feeling that we talk about.
“You know, once you finish your round of golf, like looking at yourself in the mirror and being like, ‘Okay, that’s how I want to feel. That’s how I want to think. That’s how I want to act.’ Just going back to the reasons of why you started to play the game in the first place.”
That feeling helped McIlroy conquer Augusta National and cement a year in which his “dreams came true.” While McIlroy’s advice is important for those looking to turn bogeys into birdies, it’s something that people in all walks of life should take to heart. Fall in love with your craft, enjoy the work and improvement will follow.
