Before that disappointment, the 35-year-old pro was on the brink of claiming his fifth major title but ended up botching three of the last four holes, which let Bryson DeChambeau clinch victory instead.
Now ranked world No. 3, McIlroy is set to shake off a tumultuous summer and aim for his fourth FedExCup win at the FedEx St Jude Championship.
Fresh in Memphis, Tennessee, he's looking for a strong comeback after what's been a challenging time.
On the cusp of the opening playoff event, the celebrated golfer acknowledged his need for improvement, revealing: "I just have to finish off tournaments better. There's been glimpses where I have done it, like Quail Hollow, for example, but obviously US Open, you know, Olympics."
"Yeah, I just, it's just sort of, I feel like this year, maybe the last couple of years, I've just found a way to hit the wrong shot at the wrong time. That might go into preparation and trying to practice a little more under pressure at home. You know, you go through these things in golf, and you go through these little challenges, and you just have to try to figure out a way to get through it."
"And my challenge right now is, is that it's, it's really good, but not quite good enough to take home the silverware," he continued, confirming his pursuit of self-improvement. "So it's just, you know, something I'm having to work through."
Meanwhile, after missing out on an Olympic medal at Le Golf National, McIlroy allowed fans a glimpse into his thoughts: "I feel like I've been golf's 'Nearly Man' for the last three years."
He expressed determination to change the narrative: "I obviously want that tide to turn and go from the 'Nearly Man' to back to winning golf tournaments. It's all well and good saying I'm close and close and close. Once I actually step through the threshold and turn these near misses and close calls into wins, that's what I need to do."
"I certainly don't want to sit up here and belittle my achievements at all this year and what I've done, but at the same time I expect a certain standard from myself", he continued.
He further added: "I think when the bulk of the season has come and gone and you've got this opportunity of three weeks to really, I guess, flip the script a little bit or change the narrative and what that season means, I think that's a motivating factor and part of the reason that I've probably played well in the play-offs for the last three years."
For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here .
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Most Popular
Comments / 0