Absence makes the heart grow fonder, even if one’s true love is winning PGA Tour tournaments and major championships.
Rory McIlroy is hungry for a return to the top of the mountain after watching Jordan Spieth and Jason Day put together phenomenal seasons, winning multiple tournaments each and three of the four majors on the season between them.
“It’s motivating to see what these guys are doing, McIlroy said”, via BBC.com. “You want to work harder, hit more balls, and try to keep getting better.”
He also added “It has definitely given me that sense of hunger again,” referring to the success of Spieth and Day.
McIlroy’s best finish in a major came back in April when he came in fourth place while Spieth took the Green Jacket. He tied for ninth place at the U.S. Open but missed the British open dealing with a rather gruesome ankle injury suffered while playing some footie with his mates.
The season just never went according to plan, and it sounds like he knows he slacked off to do other things he enjoys. But winning golf tournaments on the big stage is a unique experience nothing else can touch.
McIlroy ended up winning two tournaments, which is respectable.
But with all his talents, McIlroy is better than respectable when he’s taking the game seriously. Apparently all it took to get his consciousness back on the game was watching others claim trophies he’s might have had, if his mind was right and his game on point.