CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rory McIlroy is close to being Rory McIlroy again.
The former world No. 1 and four-time major champion thinks he’s emerging from the fog of the past 11 months, a dreary stretch that prolonged a winless span nearing 550 days and had him making major swing changes that threw him off-kilter that eventually moved him to seek help.
McIlroy, who turned 32 Tuesday, hasn’t been himself since golf returned last June after a 13-week break due to COVID-19. He likened playing in front of vacant galleries to nothing more than playing practice rounds and was challenged to maintain focus and find the proper intensity to play well.
Then he started chasing Bryson DeChambeau, who bulked up and sped up to become of the one game’s longest hitters and the U.S. Open champion. McIlroy’s extra time spent on speed and power drills proved damaging, however.
Since golf’s return, McIlroy, who hasn’t won since the fall of 2019, has just six top-10s in 21 starts, missed the cut in the Masters and Players Championship, and fallen to No. 15 in the official world golf rankings, his lowest rank since 2009.
Thus, in March, the winner of 27 titles worldwide, including 18 on the PGA Tour, brought noted swing coach Pete Cowen on board while staying with longtime coach Michael Bannon to help him sort through issues.
Gallery
In pictures: Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll (who are new parents)
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“I feel better about my game than I did flying home from Augusta on Friday night, put it that way,” McIlroy said Wednesday at Quail Hollow, home to the Wells Fargo Championship. “I’ve worked a little bit on it, sort of just tried to understand what I do well. I guess trying to sort of focus on my strengths.
“I think I’ve neglected my strengths a little bit the past couple of months and focusing more on those and focusing on what makes me a good golfer and how I swing the club and how I move the club. It’s just understanding my move a little bit more. So that’s sort of what I’ve been trying to do the last
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By: Steve DiMeglio
Title: Rory McIlroy's familiar assets help craft a new strategy: ‘I've neglected my strengths a little'
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/05/05/pga-tour-wells-fargo-championship-rory-mcilroy/
Published Date: Wed, 05 May 2021 15:51:54 +0000