McIlroy back in action on his 34th birthday after a break for his ‘mental and emotional well-being’
Rory McIlroy returns to action on his 34th birthday after taking a break for his ‘mental and emotional well-being’ following Augusta’s setback…
- McIlroy revealed he needed a break for his ‘mental and emotional well-being’
- World No. 3 criticized for pulling out of RBC Heritage after Masters setback
- He pointed to the tensions of his involvement in the Civil War over the past year
Rory McIlroy celebrated his 34th birthday by returning to action on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Championship.
The Northern Irishman, who started on the back nine, had a birdie on his opening hole and his final hole in an encouraging three-under-par 68.
McIlroy returned to tournament play for the first time since missing the cut at the Masters last month.
The world No. 3 drew criticism when he followed his disappointment at Augusta by quickly withdrawing from the RBC Heritage the following week.
That decision has cost McIlroy an estimated $3 million in Player Impact Program bonuses as the RBC is one of the PGA Tour’s “designated events,” but when he broke his silence on Tuesday, the Northern Irishman pointed to tensions from his involvement in the Gulf Civil War. about the past year.
Rory McIlroy celebrated his 34th birthday by returning to action in the Wells Fargo Championship
McIlroy returned to tournament play for the first time since missing the cut at the Masters
McIlroy told Golf Channel, “More for my mental and emotional well-being, I had to be home for those few weeks. I think I’m in a better headspace than I was.
“I needed a break for myself. Of course, after Augusta’s disappointment, and it’s been a pretty tough 12 months mentally, so it’s been nice to just try to disconnect and get away from it all. But it’s nice to come back and feel refreshed.
“You know, that run up to Augusta is always a stressful couple of weeks to make sure everything is okay and your game is in good shape.
“I think it was a nice reset for me because I still had to realize there are three majors left this year, there’s a ton left to play for.”
McIlroy left Augusta without conducting interviews after falling far behind his goal of completing his career grand slam.