Rory McIlroy is well enough versed in the success of Tiger Woods to fully appreciate the level of mental intensity associated with the 14-times major winner’s previous dominance of golf. More than that, this year has offered McIlroy a practical snapshot.
McIlroy’s failure to claim the FedEx Cup in Atlanta on Sunday was hardly a disaster. Those who had paid close attention to him in recent weeks would have seen traces of the mental fatigue which is a natural consequence of a stunningly successful summer. By his own admission, McIlroy could not summon the energy for one final tilt at glory. Competing comes at a cost.
McIlroy has only appeared at the FedEx play-off finale twice, this year and in 2012, with opportunities to claim the $10m (£6.1m) bonus attached to victory evading him on both occasions.
“I really wanted to win,” he said. “I really wanted to cap this year off well, even though it’s still been a great year. I was coming in with really high hopes and expectations, and I haven’t quite been able to play the golf to live up to those.
“It’s still been a great season for me and there’s still a little bit of golf left. I’m looking forward to this little bit of time off and getting back at it, maybe next weekend, to get ready for the Ryder Cup.”
The Open and US PGA champion’s year is far from over. McIlroy will compete at the Ryder Cup and in individual events in Bermuda, Dubai, China and Australia before the end of 2014. Sunday at East Lake looked like an important moment, though, with McIlroy feeling the strain of four FedEx events in succession.
“It’s been a long four weeks,” McIlroy said. “You know, if I had to do it all over again, I probably would have taken a week off somewhere in this stretch of tournaments.
“It’s tough because these sponsors that are sponsoring the tournaments and the FedEx Cup play-offs, they’re putting up an awful lot of money to get the best players in the world to their event. Not that you feel obliged, but you want to support the events, you want to show up and give the sponsors something to be happy about and proud of.
“I’ve got a great relationship with BMW and that was probably the only reason why I did play in Denver [at the BMW Championship] last week. But at the same time, if I had to do it again, I probably would have taken a week off just to feel a little fresher coming to Atlanta.”
The back-to-back FedEx series is unlikely to be repeated. It was understood to be the idea of Tom Watson, who wanted a clear break before he leads the United States into the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles from Friday 26 September.
Two years ago, the Tour Championship immediately preceded the Ryder Cup, a matter Watson identified as troublesome during his discussions over the USA captaincy. That is notable, given the number of players who have made it clear that a hectic tournament run this time around has taken its toll.
“I think a week off will do a lot of us a world of good,” said McIlroy, who was far from alone in citing East Lake tiredness. “It really will. As I said already, I don’t want to see my clubs for a few days and I’ll pick them back up again probably at the weekend.
“Having these five days off is going to be big and I think a lot of guys will do the same thing. I don’t think tiredness or fatigue will play a part in the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said. “Now that all this is over, I’ll start thinking about it a lot more over the next few days and obviously get very excited about it. It’s a great way to get right back on the horse and get back at it. It’s always a phenomenal week and I’m sure it’ll be the same this time.”
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