“I think that’s what I kind of came to peace with. I think sometimes when it’s right there in front of you and see all these statistics, you feel like you should do more. I think that some of the things we’ve already gotten, we take for granted. I think that’s what I realized most, and that’s what made me realize I’ve still got to go out there and practice and put in the time to play well the week after.”
McIlroy’s post-Masters play was, for the most part, flat. But he found a new “Everest” while trying to win the Open Championship in front of his home crowd at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. He came up short, finishing in a tie for seventh, but filled his soul while giving the Portrush crowd hope with a weekend charge.
“I’ve gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a Claret Jug,” he said after finishing his final round.
McIlroy’s search for motivation, for his next mountain, will be ongoing, ever-changing. While the Masters was a fixed target, the next stage of his professional career will be capturing a shooting star. The Open isn’t slated to return to Royal Portrush at the moment, although that could change at some point. McIlroy noted his goals now include winning big tournaments at iconic venues, namely the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the Open at St. Andrews, and he already told us what north stars he plans to chase as his hair continues to gray.
“Winning the Masters, winning an Olympic medal and another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career,” McIlroy told BBC Sport in January.
He checked the biggest box in April when he battled and defeated his demons to finally become a champion at Augusta National. After months of waffling between enjoying a dream achieved and searching for something to chase, something to reach for, McIlroy once again has a clear target with the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black now just three weeks away.
“When I look at my career and my whole picture as a golfer, I basically, I’ve done everything I wanted to,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of the Irish Open at The K Club. “I guess everything after that, it’s a bonus, but you have to reassess your goals. The one thing for me this year to reassess my goals, an away Ryder Cup, after everything that’s happened this year, would be — I would look back on 2025, and there’s no way that I would — if I did have a better year in the game, I’d love to see it. But if we were to win an away Ryder Cup with everything else that I’ve been through this year, 2025 would be the best year of my career.”
After Europe’s win in Rome at the 2023 Ryder Cup, McIlroy promised that Europe would defeat the Americans at Bethpage and become the first team since the 2012 Europeans to win an away Ryder Cup. American captain Keegan Bradley said he has shown that clip to several members of his team. They are aware of McIlroy’s comments from two years ago, but the newly minted Grand Slam champion still feels bullish on Europe’s chances on Long Island.
“Honestly, since The Open passed, it’s the one thing I’ve really been looking towards and making sure my game is in the best possible shape,” McIlroy said of the Ryder Cup. “I think we have a wonderful opportunity to do something — honestly, one of the greatest achievements in the game right now is to win an away Ryder Cup, and I think this European team has a great opportunity to do that.
“I’m excited for the opportunity. I’m also excited for the challenge too,” McIlroy said. “We know it’s going to be a very challenging environment to play in, but that’s what we want. The best players want to challenge themselves, and that’s what it’s going to be.”
Rory McIlroy was searching for motivation. He found something he’d been missing at the Open, and now, another one of his career goals — a shooting star — is about to come into view.
