More significant things in life than golf tournaments, admits McIlroy
FIT-AGAIN Rory McIlroy will head into today’s opening round of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits with a new-found perspective borne out of his enforced injury absence.
World No1 McIlroy feared he had broken an ankle while playing football on 4 July, but a ruptured left ankle ligament was severe enough to sideline the 26-year-old for last month’s Open Championship and more recently the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. The Northern Irishman was unable to defend his Open crown and had to watch American Zach Johnson triumph at St Andrews, although he will adopt a different mindset this week while bidding to retain his PGA Championship title.
“Having to sit those tournaments out gave me a huge sense of perspective,” said McIlroy, who plays his first two rounds alongside Jordan Spieth and Johnson. “When you’re playing week in, week out and thinking about winning these tournaments, you get so wrapped up in what you’re doing and your own little life and your own little bubble, sometimes you forget there’s a bigger, wider world out there. No matter whether you win a golf tournament or not, people are going to get up on Monday morning and go to work and do their daily things and honestly not a lot of people care.
“It means a lot to you and people involved in golf, but in the big scheme of things, it’s not life or death. That’s something I can bring in with me this week. It’s a big deal, but whatever happens, only a very small percentage of the population really care.”