Rory McIlroy speaks to the media during a press conference prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has revealed he is concerned over the attitude of Rory McIlroy coming into this week’s U.S. Open, claiming he doesn’t see the same desire from the Holywood man.
McIlroy is looking to claim his second Major win of the year at Oakmont having already won the Masters at Augusta in April, however he has had his fair share of struggles in recent weeks.
The World No.2 was outraged that his name was leaked after failing a driver compliance test at the US PGA Championship last month, refusing to talk to the media in the aftermath, and he missed the cut at the Canadian Open last week after struggling off the tee in a second round 78.
As well as that, McIlroy has admitted to suffering from a lack of motivation in the aftermath of the monumental effort it took to complete the Career Grand Slam, his Masters victory meaning he has now won all four Major titles.
As a result, along with the resurgence of World No.1 and US PGA champion Scottie Scheffler, the 35-year-old has fallen down the list of favourites to win this week in Pennsylvania and, after his Tuesday media briefing, McGinley shared his concerns.
“You’d have to say it was very worrying looking at his press conference there. His eyes weren’t alive. The energy was not there,” said the Irishman on Sky Sports.
Rory McIlroy with Paul McGinley. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
“He certainly didn’t have the pointy elbows the way we saw coming into the Masters. (At the Masters) he was a man on a mission, he was a man on a bounce, he was a man out to prove something. ‘Get out of my way, here I come.’ You could see that and feel the energy.
“You don’t see it at the moment. I know from my own experience, when you win tournaments, you check out. You don’t feel the same. You want to be there and you put in the energy but something inside you is just missing.
“It takes some time for that to reset and I think he’s going through a period of that. He’s completed a Grand Slam – it’s a huge achievement.
“I’m no psychologist but it looks like the air has been sucked out of him a little since that, not just in the way he’s played but in his press conferences. It’s very un-Rory-like to have such low energy. This is not normal Rory.
“This is not when he’s at his best in my opinion. I think he’s at his best when he’s p****d off or following off a big loss or something that went wrong.”