Rory McIlroy hopes reuniting with coach Michael Bannon can put an end to his โerraticโ performances as he bids to return to winning ways on the PGA Tour.
World number one McIlroy has struggled for consistency in three behind-closed-doors tournaments since golf resumed following the coronavirus outbreak.
The Northern Irishman has taken more than two weeks off ahead of the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, linking up with mentor Bannon for the first time in five months.
Looking for his second win of the season, @McIlroyRory meets with the media @MemorialGolf. 🎙 https://t.co/d7l5xep7yz
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 15, 2020
He acknowledges there is plenty at stake at Muirfield Village and believes he gained plenty from his frustrating experiences at the Charles Schwab Challenge, the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship.
โThis might sound bad but looking back on the first three events I played, I sort of treated them as just dipping my toes my back in the water again and seeing how things felt in terms of no crowds,โ said McIlroy.
โThere were spells within that three weeks that I felt my game was there, it was just maybe a little erratic, I would make a dumb mistake here or there. They were just lapses in concentration.
โIt was nice to take a couple of weeks off. I needed to do a little bit of work on my game, so I got my coach Michael Bannon over, it was the first time I had seen him since the start of February.
Muirfield Village is ready and waiting. 😍 pic.twitter.com/GEtAIBI4Bk
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 14, 2020
โThis is a huge event. I saw a stat yesterday that this field is stronger than the last eight Masters tournaments.
โThere are a lot of world ranking points and thereโs a lot to be focused on this week.
โI feel like my game is definitely better now after that week I had with Michael. Iโm excited to get going.โ
A formidable 133-player field for the event, which runs from Thursday to Sunday, includes a return to action for five-time winner Tiger Woods.
American Woods is seeking a record 83rd PGA Tour success, which would eclipse Sam Sneadโs mark of 82, set in 1965.
McIlroy, who has been grouped with Woods and Brooks Koepka for the first two rounds, admits it is difficult to focus without a crowd and feels his opponent may struggle to adapt to the strange circumstances.
Iโm looking forward to playing in the @MemorialGolf next week. Iโve missed going out and competing with the guys and canโt wait to get back out there.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) July 9, 2020
โThe first three weeks were good just to get a feel for what it is going to be like,โ continued McIlroy, speaking at a press conference streamed on the PGA Tourโs Twitter account.
โNow, someone like Tiger hasnโt experienced that, and maybe heโs going to find it a little weird going out there tomorrow and not having anyone, especially with the amount of crowds he has to deal with all the times when he plays.
โYou just have to work really hard to keep your mind on the task at hand and not let your mind wander.
โThere are so many opportunities for it to wander because weโre in big open spaces and youโre looking around and you donโt have that tunnel of people to keep your focus.โ
While McIlroy is looking to retain his place at the top of the PGA rankings, he insists a return to form is far more important.
โObviously if I play well then the ranking takes care of itself and all Iโm thinking about this week is playing well and putting up some good numbers,โ added the 31-year-old.