Former Ryder Cup skipper offers take on Rory McIlroy's surprising decision

Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley says Rory McIlroy's decision to step away from his influential position on the PGA Tour's policy 'won't harm him' ahead of a crucial year for the Northern Irishman. 

McIlroy, 34, will be entering 2024 knowing it has been a decade since he last captured a major championship. 

He ticked off four in quick succession early on his career but despite an exhaustive list of other accomplishments the Ulsterman simply hasn't been able to get it done when it mattered most. 

After missing the cut at the Masters for the first time in 11 years, McIlroy saw more chances slip through his fingers yet again in 2023. 

Chief of which was when he failed to chase down Wyndham Clark at the U.S. Open in Los Angeles and ended up losing by one stroke. 

"This one has been a little easier to get over than St Andrews," McIlroy said at the time, referring to the devastating pain he felt after Cameron Smith pipped him and Cameron Young to the Claret Jug at the landmark 150th Open. 

Next year we are likely to see a different iteration of McIlroy yet again. 

For the past 18 months he has been the PGA Tour's de facto spokesman in the North American's battle against LIV Golf. 

McIlroy spoke of feeling like the Tour's 'sacrificial lamb' after the 6 June framework agreement announcement. 

The deal, which was essentially a vague agreement to attempt to make peace with LIV's Saudi backers, was done without McIlroy's knowledge. 

A short phone call before the announcement was the only heads-up McIlroy received. 

He has now stepped away from the PGA Tour's policy board, citing time commitments and his desire to make sure he can head into the Masters completely fresh. 

Perhaps he just stepped away knowing Tiger Woods will shoulder the responsibility in his absence. 

There are whispers he didn't see eye-to-eye with Woods since the 15-time major champion joined the board, but only he knows the truth. 

McGinley told The Scotsman's Martin Dempster he doesn't believe the decision will harm McIlroy. 

But he only plays his best when his 'heart is engaged', according to the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain. 

McGinley, who also offered his take on the recent speculation over Jon Rahm's future, told the paper: "I don't think it will do him any harm. But, having said that, I think the last two years have fired him up.

"Rory is an emotional player. When his heart is engaged, it's when he's at his best and I think all the stuff off the course the last two years has inflamed that heart of his.

"We saw that at the Ryder Cup. He had his best-ever Ryder Cup in Italy and you saw in the car park how much he was bought into it.

"I think that's the key with Rory. You get him emotionally invested in something and that's when he's at his best.

"We'll have to wait and see. But I think he's been a bit unfortunate when it comes to major championships.

"He's certainly played well enough to win a few of them since and, St Andrews in particular, but someone just seemed to play better on the last day as things went for them as opposed to not going for him."

 

 

 

 

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He continued: "He's just got to keep doing what he's been doing. His underlying stats have never been better. Even in 2014, his underlying stats through the bag have never been better than they are now.

"He's a more solid player. He's got less weaknesses in his game than he did when he was winning major championships and he's just got to keep that standard up and wait for the golfing gods to shine on him and keep emotionally invested in what he is doing."

Read more:

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• PGA Tour pro who once told Rory McIlroy to 'f--- off' sacks caddie
• Confirmed: Rory McIlroy dethrones Tiger Woods in PGA Tour's popularity contest