McIlroy Says He's Ready for Season Finale


Despite being off for the past six weeks, Rory McIlroy believes he won't skip a beat as he returns to competition for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The European Tour's 2014 season finale starts Thursday at Jumeirah Golf Estates in the United Arab Emirates.

Last month McIlroy said he would be taking the extended break to "prepare for the trial over my legal dispute with Horizon Sports Management." That comment came before the start of the BMW-Masters and the WGC-HSBC Champions, both in China and the first two events in the European Tour's four-tournament Final Series, which will culminate in Dubai.

"I had to get a few things done - I'm actually not sure if I'm bound confidentiality wise to talk about it," he told reporters Tuesday in Dubai. "I just had to get a few things tied up and it had to be done by a certain deadline. So there was a lot of time that I needed to putt into do what I had to do, basically. And it sort of went, sort of until - it probably went up until the Tuesday of HSBC or something like that. So I mean, I could have went there but I would have been totally ill prepared to play, so there was no reason to go to an event without having your best stuff there."

The legal issue with his former agent, expected to involve millions of dollars, will be heard in a Dublin court early next year. As for the current state of his game, McIlroy noted: "It has been okay. In the last week or so, I really put my head down and focused on my golf and everything like that. So that's been great.

"I've actually felt like I've had a really good little bit of preparation coming into this event. I feel good with my game and hopefully I've done enough work to be ready for Thursday. I'm comfortable on this golf course. I've played well here, basically every year that we've been in Dubai. I got the win here in 2012.

"It would be nice to cap off the season with another win. And I feel like I'm probably a little fresher than most of the guys, as well. I think there's a few jaded minds and bodies getting off that plane from Turkey the other night. Hopefully I can use that to my advantage and put in a good performance this week."

McIlroy, who was named the Player of the Year by both the PGA of America and the PGA Tour - the latter determined by a vote from his fellow players, has won three times this year. He rose to No. 1 in the world based on two major victories in the British Open and PGA Championship, making it a total of four Grand Slam titles in his career.

The 25-year-old Northern Irishman is only a Masters' win away from the career Grand Slam, a feat accomplished only by Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. McIlroy also won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

On Monday, with American Brooks Koepka's victory Sunday at the Turkish Airlines Open - combined with neither Marcel Siem, Jamie Donaldson nor Sergio Garcia winning the tournament - McIlroy secured his second Race to Dubai, also called the Order of Merit, title in three years.

He expects to do well this week in Dubai. "Regardless that I have won the Race to Dubai, I still want to play really well this week and try and win this tournament, because there would be no point in me showing up if I thought that I had already won something and was just here for a good time."

Here's what else McIlroy had to say during his Q&A with the media on Tuesday. He will be paired in the last group with No. 4-ranked Henrik Stenson of Sweden in the first round of the 30-player event.

MODERATOR: Welcome back to Dubai. Thanks for joining us. We'll talk about the tournament in a moment. We normally wait till Sunday night before we start handing out trophies, but obviously you've got this sewn up already, the product of a fantastic season for yourself. Just give us your thoughts on winning the Race to Dubai.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I'm very proud to have won the Race to Dubai again, the second time in three years, and doing it not having to do anything this week I guess is an added bonus. But I'm very proud of how I played throughout the season, a lot of consistent play. Obviously I had that fantastic stretch over the summer, which made up the bulk of the season for me, and how many points that I accumulated in the Race to Dubai. But yeah, very happy. But at the same time, it would be nice to pick up two trophies on Sunday and not just one. Still very motivated to go out there this week and perform well.

MODERATOR: Obviously you did that in 2012. How nice would it be to do that again? You have a fantastic record around this course.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, obviously I'm comfortable on this golf course. I've played well here, basically every year that we've been. Got the win in 2012. Most years it seems like a guy who wins this tournament wins the Race to Dubai, as well. It would be nice to cap off the season with another win here. And I feel like I'm probably a little fresher than most of the guys, as well. I think there's a few jaded minds and bodies getting off that plane from Turkey the other night. Hopefully I can use that to my advantage and put in a good performance this week.

MODERATOR: You'll be crowned European Tour No. 1 for the second time in three years. You're a big supporter of the European Tour and part of this; you've increased your involvement with the Irish Open. I know you've got some news you'd like to share about that tournament.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I was excited to get more involved with the Irish Open, and with it going to one of the best golf courses in the world at Royal County Down, I might be a bit biased in that, seeing as it is close to home. I've tried to use any sort of influence that I have to try to get some guys to come over and play in it and I'm glad to announce that Rickie Fowler has agreed to come over and play. So that's hopefully just the start of a few names coming an board and playing. But Rickie has become a very good friend of mine over the past few years. We actually played each other in the Walker Cup at Royal County Down in 2007, so it will be nice to sort of rekindle that battle in a way, and obviously we've had a few good battles this year in a couple of the majors and at the Ryder Cup, as well. So I'm delighted that Rickie can come over this side of the Atlantic and play in The Irish Open and support that event.

Q. Given the manner in which you've won the Race to Dubai this year, how different does it feel for you coming in here this week than it did two years ago?

RORY McILROY: It felt, obviously a couple years ago, that there was a lot more on the line. I needed to play well. I needed to, I still had a little bit of a lead I think. But I still, regardless that I have won the Race to Dubai, I still want to play really well this week and try and win this tournament, because there would be no point in me showing up if I thought that I had already won something and was just here for a good time. Make it an even better time if I won. So I want to, as I said, I want to pick two trophies up on the 18th green on Sunday instead of one. And I feel like I'm playing well. I've hit the ball in practice, so we'll see what happens over the course of the four days.

Q. You said you're taking the last three weeks off to prepare for your upcoming legal case. How much time during that period have you been able to devote to golf and practicing?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I sort of got - it's been okay. The last sort of week, yeah, the last week or so, I really put my head down and focused on my golf and everything like that. So that's been great. I've actually felt like I've had a really good little bit of preparation coming into this event. I feel good with my game and hopefully I've done enough work to be ready for Thursday.

Q. Players talk about improving and find the next level up, after a year like this, how much better do you think you can get?

RORY McILROY: I always feel like I can get better, even if the improvements are not that noticeable. You mightn't be able to see them. They mightn't be obvious improvements. They might be little things I've tried to improve, and I feel like I've gotten better at. But there's always things that you can do to try and get better. But, you know, for me right now, it's just about fine tuning everything that I have because I feel like I am in a really good place with my game and it's just about trying to keep that level of consistency as high as possible.

Q. I just wonder, you played the Pro Am this morning. How do you balance wanting to stay sharp and having regular competition, and also being fresh for an event like this, as well? Where do you draw the line between which one becomes most important at that time?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think it's an ever evolving process. There's been some seasons where I like to play the week before a major and there's been some seasons where I don't want to play the week before it really just depends on how you feel at the time. If you do feel a little tired or a little jaded, it might be time just to take a week off and rejuvenate. And that doesn't mean you don't see a golf course or hit golf balls. You might still go and do a little bit of practice but at least you're not in that intense competition. So you can - it's not really that physically you get tired but mentally, it can be quite draining playing week in, week out.

So yeah, there is a balance to find, but I feel that if you put enough good work in, away from the golf course and away from tournaments and your preparation is right and you practice well, and you play enough golf at the same time, you get on the course enough and you don't just hit balls every day; that by the time the tournament comes around that you're preparing for, you should be ready to go.

Q. And also, especially focusing on the incredible run you had over the summer, as well, has that changed the way you might plan future seasons now that you feel you've hit a certain period of dominance?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, there's a few things I learned this season that I'll take forward into the next few years. I feel like some of the links preparation that I did leading up to the Open Championship was very important. I think playing the Scottish Open was very important. I think that was something that helped me play well at Hoylake. And a few other things, I feel in a much different place now at the end of 2014 than when I did the end of 2012 when I was pretty much in the same position. I feel like I was a much clearer path and I know exactly what I need to do and how to do it going forward to stay at this level. So excited to finish this season off well and already excited for 2015.

Q. Not that the FedEx Cup is by any stretch foolproof and infallible. I'm just wondering whether coming into this thing with one title already in hand, sort of let some of the air out of the balloon and whether they might need to play around with the points again.

RORY McILROY: I'm happy to spoil the party (smiling). It works just fine for me, Steve. Look, it is what it is. If a guy has a really good season - you know, whenever one of the three guys last week didn't win, I'm reading things like: "Rory, he's just won the Race to Dubai sitting on the couch this weekend." You've got to remember the first 10 months of the season where I actually did play and I played very well. So I think if I look at the PGA Tour season, I didn't win anything - I was at the top of the money list there, and this is a money list. It's not like they reshuffle the points at the start of The Final Series or anything. They might give slightly higher points to the guys wherever they finish in these final four events, but it basically is the money list title and I've done enough throughout the middle part of the season to not be able to be caught with one event to spare.

So whether they look at it again, that's completely up to the European Tour. I have no real - either way works for me, whether they want to go more FedEx Cup-style or whether they want to keep it like this. As long as I am hopefully in the mix at the end of every season, I'll be happy enough.

Q. Were you technically sitting on the couch when the tournament ended on Sunday?

RORY McILROY: No. I was probably on the range. I probably won it on the range.

Q. You were already here?

RORY McILROY: I had been here for 10 days already, yeah.

Q. You sat in that chair or one like it last year and told us you'd seen enough lawyers' offices to last a lifetime. You've obviously been back there probably again. What is the feeling now still being in this situation? Are you annoyed that it's still going on?

RORY McILROY: I mean, yeah, of course I'm annoyed that it's still going on. But again, it is what it is. I've been saying that a lot recently; it is what it is. I can't do anything about it. We tried our best a few weeks ago to come to some sort of resolution and it didn't work. So, yeah, it's not the best thing to be going through, but at the end of the day, it will be over and done with a good bit before I have to go down Magnolia Lane in April and that's fine by me, as long as I've got a clear head going there, I'm happy with that.

Q. Do you have any concerns that it will impact on leading up to the Masters and any golf at the start of the year?

RORY McILROY: No, no. I'm not missing anything that I would normally play anyway.

Q. You said in Abu Dhabi, comments that you had to win two majors in 2014 were overblown, if anything, and it was almost a joke on your part, and yet you won two majors in 2014. So how high are expectations going into 2015?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, you know, when I made those comments at the end of last year, it was a little bit of a joke just because I won in 2011 and 2012, and had not won in 2013; so to keep this sort of run going where I was winning one a year, and then I had to win two this year, which I obviously did. Expectations are high. I feel like I'm in a really good place with my game. As I said previously there, I feel like I have a clear path going forward. I feel much more comfortable sitting here this year than I did in 2012 because there was a lot of things up in the air at that point in 2012, changing equipment and there was a lot of stuff going on in my life, but there's much more stability now and I know exactly what I need to do. So I'm very happy with that.

And next year, you know, high expectations obviously going into Augusta, wanting to try to complete the career Grand Slam. There's a lot to play for but if I'm sitting down here this time next year and having not won a major for example, I'd be disappointed, yeah.

Q. You said your schedule won't be disrupted pre Masters, but do you have a concern about such private stuff being played out in such a public manner and domain before the Masters?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, that's something that's just a part of it. It's not like I'm worried in any way, because I definitely don't feel like I've done anything wrong. But yeah, that is - it's not ideal, of course. But that's the nature of it and yeah, it is what it is. (Laughter).

Q. Why is it imperative to sort it out with the lawyers now rather than there's still a bit to go?

RORY McILROY: I had to get a few things done - I'm actually not sure if I'm bound confidentiality wise to talk about it. I just had to get a few things tied up and it had to be done by a certain deadline. So there was a lot of time that I needed to putt into do what I had to do, basically. And it sort of went, sort of until - it probably went up until the Tuesday of HSBC or something like that. So I mean, I could have went there but I would have been totally ill prepared to play, so there was no reason to go to an event without having your best stuff there.

Q. Can I just ask about you already having the Race to Dubai, the contrast with the F1 that's happening up the road in Abu Dhabi is obvious. How do you feel about that, when you put the two together, do you think someone like Lewis who has won twice as many Grand Prixes as Nico Rosberg; do you think there should be more integrity towards -

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I don't think their whole season should be decided on one race with the double points. As you said, Lewis has won twice as many Grand Prixes as Nico Rosberg has, and there's still a chance that he might win. It makes it exciting at the end of the season. It makes it exciting for the fans. I'm sure Lewis doesn't think it's that exciting right now. Yeah, I'm sure no matter what the outcome, if I play well enough or if he drives well enough, you're going to do enough to win. Hopefully for him, it all works out and he does come out on top because he's definitely the deserving champion of this year.

Q. In the past when you've had other stuff going on in your life, it's tended to impact on your golf, but you seem very confident that won't be the case this time. Why is that? Why have you matured?

RORY McILROY: I've got used to it (laughter). I've got used to it. That's what it is. I'm better at compartmentalizing between stuff that's happening off the course and then being able to focus on what's going on on the course. So I've got better at it. I've got used to it. It's just something that it's been a part of my life for the last couple years, so that's how and that's why I handle it better now.

Q. Is that also a kick on from the fact that you have played so well this year, when perhaps there's other stuff at the start ever the year; and yet you've still won two majors.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, exactly. All that stuff, it's experience, and it gets ingrained in there. I always try and learn from experiences, from mistakes and from success. Life in general is a big learning curve. I just try and learn from everything and move on. I feel I've learnt a lot in that regard this year.

Q. When do you envisage it all being over in the next year, and will it impact on playing in the Dubai Desert Classic?

RORY McILROY: It will not impact playing in Dubai. As I said, it won't impact my early season schedule. I'll be able to play all the events that I usually play.

Q. Do you think it will be over before then?

RORY McILROY: I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine.

Q. And how frustrating was it sitting in a lawyer's office during BMW and HSBC?

RORY McILROY: It was frustrating because I was there. I would have preferred to have been playing golf, that's for sure. But these things happen, and there was an opportunity before those events to putt it all to bed, and it didn't quite work out. So then there was extra work needed from my side to get a few things done to get ready. It was frustrating, but all that - for the meantime, anyway, I've been able to focus on my golf for the last week and I've got two more events this year. I'm going to focus solely on those and try and finish the season off well and then I've got all of December to worry about other stuff.

Q. After winning the Open Championship, you revealed there were two words that you've been focusing on during that week. Has that become part of your routine now that during tournaments, you tend to pick up some couple of words and focus on? Will you do it this week? Or do the words change?

RORY McILROY: I don't think - my words don't really change. I think it's a good thing under pressure to have a couple of little words or something to say to yourself because it relaxes you a little bit and mightn't make you feel as anxious over a shot, and that helps. It takes the outcome, it takes it out of your mind a little bit. So all you're really focused on is that shot that you're hitting right there and then. You really don't think about what that shot could mean; if I hit this good shot, I could go one ahead or two ahead. It's about trying to visualize a high draw and trying to hit a high draw just like you've done on the range a million times. It takes the outcome away, which is a good thing, so you can just focus solely on what you're doing there and then.

MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us and have a good week.

The transcript for the above interview is courtesy of ASAP Sports.