McIlroy reborn? — "The trials and tribulations of the golf course don't seem to matter that much"
Rory McIlroy. Photo by Christian Petersen/PGA of America/PGA of America via Getty Images
Rory McIlroy believes fatherhood will give tour life "a different perspective" as he chases a record third FedEx Cup win and a cool $15 million jackpot at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Under the staggered scoring system, he begins his title defence in 12th place on three-under, seven shots behind Dustin Johnson and eight behind Jon Rahm, hoping for a win that would be “the icing on the cake” of a dream week.
"It's been hard to think about golf just because I've been so focused on making sure that everything is OK at home," said McIlroy, who has yet to post a top-10 finish in eight starts since golf returned following the COVID-19 lockdown.
"I think it's been hard because you're sort of in limbo about when she's going to arrive, and then in the back of your mind you're hoping it's going to go well. You hope that your daughter is safe. You hope that your wife is safe.
"There's a lot of different things and there's a lot of things that sort of run through your head, and the fact that all that went well and everyone is good and recovering at home, I feel more comfortable now that I can come out here and play golf and maybe get my mind off it for four or five hours a day, and that's a nice thing.
"And then obviously I can get a couple of good nights' sleep before I go home! But maybe this is what I needed, just for everything to happen and go well. I haven't played my best since coming back out since sort of post-Covid, so maybe things just will fall into place. It's already been the best week of my life, and this would obviously just be the icing on the cake."
He came from five shots behind Justin Thomas to win last year and while many are eagerly waiting for the famed "Nappy Factor" to kick in immediately, an "emotionally drained" McIlroy is looking at the bigger picture.
"The trials and tribulations of what goes on out on the golf course don't really seem to matter that much," McIlroy (31) said at East Lake.
"So you can sort of let it just slide off you a little bit more and not be as reactive to your mistakes and know that it's important and it's your career, but at the end of the day you get to go home to your family, which is the most important thing."
The four-time major champion has focussed on becoming a more rounded individual since he married in 2017, dipping deep into books on self-improvement and philosophy.
"It's probably the best part of being a human being, and I'm glad that I got to experience it," he said of the arrival of Poppy Kennedy McIlroy on Monday. "If I can't be content and happy right now, I don't think I'll ever be."
World No 1 Johnson (36) is ultra-confident after shooting 53-under-par for his last four starts but he also knows that he has his work cut out to capture his first FedEx Cup.
"It's not like I've got a two-shot lead going into the final round," the world No 1 said. "I'm still going to have to go out and play some really good golf for four days if I want to be a FedEx Cup champion."
2020 TOUR Championship Pre-Tournament Notes
Dates: August 31-September 7, 2020
Where: Atlanta, GeorgiaCourse: East Lake Golf Club (35-35—70/7,346 yards)
Field size: 30
2019 FedExCup and TOUR Championship winner: Rory McIlroy
FedExCup bonus pool: $60 million ($15 million/winner)
Format: 72-hole stroke play with FedExCup Starting Strokes
Things to know
For the second consecutive season, the TOUR Championship is weighted by FedExCup Starting Strokes, with the format crowning a single champion; at the conclusion of the TOUR Championship, the player with the lowest score in relation to par over 72 holes combined with his FedExCup Starting Strokes will win the TOUR Championship and be crowned FedExCup champion
For the first time in the FedExCup era, the top three in the FedExCup standings entering the TOUR Championship are also the top three in the Official World Golf Ranking
Playing in his TOUR-best 12th consecutive TOUR Championship, Dustin Johnson enters at No. 1 in the FedExCup standings and seeks first FedExCup title
Two-time FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy enters the week at No. 12 and seeks to become the first player to win the FedExCup in consecutive seasons
Two players played their way into the TOUR Championship following the BMW Championship: Joaquin Niemann, Mackenzie Hughes
12 international players qualified for the TOUR Championship from 11 different countries outside the United States
Notes on the field
17 of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking, including eight of the top 10
Three FedExCup champions: Billy Horschel (2014), Justin Thomas (2017), Rory McIlroy (2016, 2019)
Three past champions of the TOUR Championship: Horschel (2014), Xander Schauffele (2017), McIlroy (2016, 2019)
Two PGA TOUR rookies: Scottie Scheffler (FedExCup No. 17), Viktor Hovland (No. 27)
Nine first-timers (FedExCup ranking): Cameron Champ (29), Lanto Griffin (16), Tyrrell Hatton (19), Viktor Hovland (27), Mackenzie Hughes (28), Sebastian Munoz (15), Collin Morikawa (5), Joaquin Niemann (18), Scottie Scheffler (17)
