After what he called a “week that could have been” at the Cognizant Classic, Rory McIlroy believes his game is getting closer to being competitive for PGA Tour success as he approaches the remaining Florida swing.
Although he has had a poor start to his FedExCup campaign, McIlroy had a great start to the year on the DP World Tour, coming just short of winning the Dubai Invitational before holding onto his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title the following week.
After the final day of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was postponed due to rain, the Northern Irishman struggled to a tied-66th finish. Later, at the Genesis Invitational, he overcame a dismal first round to share 24th place.
This month, Rory McIlroy will compete in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players, two tournaments he has already won. Although he hasn’t finished in the top 10 on the PGA Tour this year, McIlroy is confident in his play as he approaches The Masters.
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Play Video: ‘A week that could’ve been’: McIlroy notes much of progress in Florida
Driving statistics were a tremendous source of confidence for Rory McIlroy, who thought he played much better than his final position suggested at the Cognizant Classic.
After what he called a “week that could have been” at the Cognizant Classic, Rory McIlroy believes his game is getting closer to being competitive for PGA Tour success as he approaches the remaining Florida swing.
Although he has had a poor start to his FedExCup campaign, McIlroy had a great start to the year on the DP World Tour, coming just short of winning the Dubai Invitational before holding onto his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title the following week.
After the final day of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was postponed due to rain, the Northern Irishman struggled to a tied-66th finish. Later, at the Genesis Invitational, he overcame a dismal first round to share 24th place.
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At the Genesis Invitational, McIlroy had a startling first round after making a series of errors that resulted in a three-over 74.
As the pre-tournament favorite and the 2012 Honda Classic victor, McIlroy came at PGA National in prime shape. The top-ranked golfer was also set up for a strong showing over the weekend after back-to-back 67s put him three shots ahead of the lead midway through the round.
After shooting a third-round 72 that put him out of contention, the former world number one recovered on a rain-shortened Sunday to close with a three-under 68, meaning McIlroy finished the week on 10 under and is expected to finish inside the top 20.
An examination of how McIlroy’s position on LIV Golf has evolved over the previous two years.
Following his final round, McIlroy told reporters, “Week that could have been.” “I thought the majority of my play was slightly better than the outcome indicated.
“A few careless errors here and there, and that terrible hole on 16 yesterday [round three, where he made a triple-bogey].” The game appears to be heading in the correct way overall.
This week, I once again had excellent ball driving. At Riv [Riviera, Genesis Invitational], I was the leader of the field in strokes gained off the tee. I’m going to probably repeat that this week.
“My driving is the cornerstone of my strategy. I only need some of the remaining parts to come into play when that’s good. I’m hoping they can in the upcoming weeks.”
McIlroy has arranged a more hectic preseason program than in recent years in anticipation of The Masters, when he will have the chance to complete the career Grand Slam once more. This will be his first of three appearances at the Cognizant Classic in a short period of time.
The 34-year-old will compete live on Sky Sports in the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday, followed by The Players on March 14–17. The week before The Masters, McIlroy will also participate in the Valero Texas Open.
“If anything, I’m just learning sort of my patterns and learning how to manage my game a little bit,” McIlroy said. “There are still a few misses in there, but I can handle it a little bit better because I know what those misses are.
“The current play has been excellent. Anticipating The Players as well as Bay Hill [Arnold Palmer Invitational]. I’m excited to start a series of events here as they have been sporadic since the Middle East.”
All the information you require regarding the FedExCup and Signature Events on the 2024 PGA Tour.
The fourth of the PGA Tour’s eight Signature Events, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, has smaller fields, greater prize money, and FedExCup points up for grabs. McIlroy is hoping to improve on his tie for second place against Kurt Kitayama in the previous year’s event.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and defending FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland join McIlroy, the Bay Hill winner from 2018, in a formidable lineup. The three players arealso probably favorites at The Players the following week.
