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Rory McIlroy has revealed that disengaging from the often-turbulent political landscape of professional golf has significantly enhanced both his on-course performance and personal contentment. The Northern Irishman, who previously found himself at the epicentre of the sport’s divisive battle with LIV Golf, serving as an unofficial spokesperson for the PGA Tour and a key figure on its policy board, stepped back from these duties in November 2023. Since then, McIlroy has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence, securing seven victories, including a Masters triumph that completed a career Grand Slam. "From a golfing perspective, stepping away from the politics and being intimately involved, it’s definitely made me happier from a golfing perspective," McIlroy stated. He elaborated on the demands of his former role, explaining, "When I was on the board, I was clued in, I talked to people, I got different opinions but at the same time I felt like it was taking away from some of the other things I want to do in my life." He candidly admitted that something had to give amidst his various commitments. "You can’t keep all the plates spinning at the same time and something had to give. If you look at my golf since then, it’s been a pretty good run," he reflected. Now, with a clearer focus, McIlroy is prioritising his game and personal life. "I have a clear head and I’m out of all the political stuff in golf, basically, and I can just focus on playing and making myself competitively happy by playing in the tournaments that I want to play." Beyond the course, he cherishes the newfound freedom: "And having more time to make myself personally happy doing things I want to do away from golf, travelling with my family and showing my daughter different parts of the world, is a very nice place to be in life." This week, McIlroy is pursuing a fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title and a seventh Order of Merit, a feat that would place him ahead of Seve Ballesteros and just one behind Colin Montgomerie. Only Marco Penge and his Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton remain in contention to challenge him at the DP World Tour Championship. Despite his primary base in the United States, McIlroy maintains a strong allegiance to the DP World Tour, which he still regards as his golfing home. He urged fellow players to increase their support for the circuit. "With the fractured nature of the men’s professional game at the minute, this tour needs all of its stars to step up and play in the big events," he asserted. McIlroy, who is ineligible for a new award named in his honour recognising the best European performance across the year’s four majors, added, "I feel quite a responsibility to do that and to try to make this tour as strong as it can possibly be." In other golf news, Tommy Fleetwood has defended himself against accusations of gamesmanship following an incident last week. The Southport golfer faced criticism from television commentators after leaving fellow Englishman Aaron Rai waiting on the tee for their play-off at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. "I feel like it’s disappointing. I would hope everybody knows that I wouldn’t do anything like that and I think the world of Aaron as well," Fleetwood stated. He clarified the situation, explaining, "We walked off the 18th and I was desperate to go to the toilet…I ran to the toilet; ran to the tee." Meanwhile, DP World has confirmed the extension of its title sponsorship of the tour until 2035.
