Rory McIlroy makes stark admission before Travelers Championship as he aims to find spark in time for Open at Portrush
RORY McILROY will hope to bounce back at the Travelers Championship as he bids for form ahead of next month's Open.
The Holywood hotshot, 36, is teeing off today at Hartford, Connecticut.
Advertisement
But he has struggled
His driver was banned at last month's PGA Championship and he missed the Canadian Open cut.
It was
McIlroy heads back home for a break before the Scottish Open and then bids for another Open crown at Royal Portrush in Antrim, just an hour from where he was born.
He said: 'I think the weeks after major championships in these events, sometimes when you are in contention and you are trying to win them, it can feel quite difficult to go play the next week.
Advertisement
Read More On Irish Sport
'After a week like at Oakmont, where you're not quite in the mix but feel you might find something in your game, it's exciting to play again.
'This is the perfect sort of chaser and it's nice to be on a course where you can make a few birdies.
'There's a lot of guys in the field this week where this is their fourth tournament in a row.
'So they have been put through the wringer the last few weeks.
Advertisement
Most read in Golf
"This is a welcome set-up where they feel like they can relax a little bit and not have to grind so much for your score.'
McIlroy will tee off alongside American Keegan Bradley today.
Watch Bob MacIntyre's classy reaction after JJ Spaun holes winning putt at US Open
But the Holywood hero will have to depose world No 1 Scottie Scheffler who is the current holder of the Travelers.
Scheffler has been paired with
Advertisement
And Scheffler — who finished in a tie for seventh at Oakmont — said: 'I didn't have my best stuff last week.
'But I was still able to get a decent finish. I have felt good about my prep work so far this week. I'm excited to get the tournament started.'
1
He's admitted he's struggled for motivation since completing the career Grand Slam
Credit: Getty
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
25 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Damon Heta reveals he wanted to ‘run into the crowd and do something silly' at US Darts Masters
DAMON HETA revealed he considered running into the crowd during a stellar debut at Madison Square Garden. The World No.10 got his US Darts Masters campaign off to a flying start with a 6-1 demolition over Jim Long. Advertisement 1 Damon Heta considered jumping into the crowd after a storming display Credit: Getty Heta, 37, thumped in three 180s and hit 50 per cent of his doubles on the way to victory. Australian thrower He said: 'I had some fun up there. I don't know if you noticed. It was insane. You just wanted to hit 180s because the crowd wanted it. 'I denied them a few times, got booed a few times, but once I hit one, let it rain, let it pour, it was insane. Advertisement READ MORE IN DARTS 'That was brilliant, that was electric. I just really enjoyed myself up there and that's what I wanted to come and do. My darts were flowing, so I was definitely happy to get the win on my first time here.' He added: 'I got confused there because it wasn't just your normal walk on. You had to start from the side and then walk in and there's no barricades, there's no nothing. 'I was like, oh, we're not just sitting there signing, we're just in the mix and there was a moment where I thought: You know what, I might just run into the crowd and do something silly! 'But then I think there might have been a fine and my wife said not to and I was like: Alright, I'll keep it simple and who knows, maybe tomorrow I'll keep the security on their guard!' Advertisement Most read in Darts CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Former World Cup winner Heta is proud to feature in the event after climbing the world rankings. He revealed: 'It's probably with reason. You've got to earn your spot, earn your ways and earn your time and, obviously, whether one or two dropped out and that's the way I got my spot, that's fair do's. 'Not the proudest moment of my life' - Darts star Rob Cross breaks silence on £450k tax issue that led to ban 'Even if I didn't get it, that's just fair play for the people that are here, they earned their ways and that's what it is. Advertisement 'When you get in those top echelons, you're not just there on or whatever, you're there because you've put in the hard times and you've done what you needed to do to get there. 'So I'm taking it for all that it is as well. I'm not taking it for granted.' Heta has been in good form this year as he picked up the Players Championship 13 title. He nearly clinched his second Euro Tour title but fell short to Nathan Aspinall in the final of the European Darts Open earlier this month. Advertisement
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Newcastle star Nick Pope appears to leak Eddie Howe's first summer transfer with ‘see you soon' Instagram message
NICK POPE has appeared to leak Newcastle's first signing of the summer transfer window. The Magpies are yet to add to 5 Nick Pope has apparently accidentally leaked Newcastle's first signing of the summer Credit: Getty 5 He publicly commented on James Trafford's Instagram story Credit: Instagram 5 The Burnley goalkeeper has been a long-term target of the Magpies Credit: Getty Newcastle have been linked with a host of players, including the likes of Brighton's However, Pope's recent actions have suggested that the first signing could be further back down the pitch. The goalkeeper has commented on an Instagram post by The Clarets star shared a clip from READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Pope wrote: "See you soon shagger." Fans spotted the gaffe on social media and were quick to comment. One posted: " A second wrote: "This is going to be up there with some of the best NUFC memes." Most read in Football JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS A third commented: "I don't think Nick Pope has worked out dms yet." A fourth said: "Not sure Nick realised that was gonna be shown publicly." Inside the world's abandoned stadiums, which have been abandoned and left to rot after years of disuse and in desperate need of repair Another added: "Has Nick Pope just unintentionally confirmed a deal here?" The Magpies have Should his switch from Turf Moor to St James' Park go through, then he would be competing directly with Pope for the No.1 spot. 5 Trafford, 22, helped Burnley gain promotion to the Premier League last season. He kept an impressive 29 clean sheets throughout the season as the team only conceded 16 times. 5
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Padraig Harrington doesn't back down as PGA icon confronts him - ‘Don't do that'
Padraig Harrington was involved in a confrontation following his second round at the US Senior Open. The golfer, who is aiming to win the tournament for a second time, got caught up in an argument on Friday. The 53-year-old is setting his sights beyond the T2 spot he secured at the Senior PGA Championship last month. At the midway point of the US Senior Open, Harrington sits at the top of the leaderboard, locked in a three-way tie with America's Stewart Cink and Aussie golfer Mark Hensby. Yet, it wasn't a completely celebratory moment for Harrington as he walked off the course at Broadmoor Golf Club situated in Colorado Springs. The three-time major champion got caught up in a heated exchange with NBC's on-course commentator, Roger Maltbie. The bone of contention seemed to be Harrington's displeasure over Maltbie's perceived lack of help during a search for a misplaced golf ball. A local KOAA News5 reporter in Colorado Springs shared the clip, showing Maltbie - a former pro with a handful of PGA Tour victories under his belt - stating his case. "Never on a golf course stand and look at somebody looking for a golf ball," Harrington said. In response to Maltbie arguing that this stance was difficult, Harrington countered: "You've played golf all your life. You understand." As Harrington repeated his point, Maltbie retorted that Harrington was "dead wrong". Before tensions could escalate further, Harrington's caddie, Ronan Flood, intervened, but not before Maltbie had his final say: "I'm not a player. I'm working and being paid to do a job." Harrington nailed six birdies during his second outing at the US Senior Open. Despite a strong start, he experienced a touch of frustration as half of those birdies were sunk during the first four holes. "Most of Thursday and Friday is jockeying for position, keeping yourself in the tournament, trying not to lose the tournament, but after the start I had today, I could have got some daylight between myself and the field and got out there," Harrington said. "I just have to go and do it all again the next two days." The golfer acknowledged fellow leader Cink's influence on his last putt, which secured his tie for the lead. The two share a history of success, with Harrington seizing the Open championships in 2007 and 2008 and Cink grabbing the title in 2009. "We've played together so many times," Cink admitted. "I would be shocked if there's anybody I've played more golf with in major championships than Padraig Harrington over my career and it's probably by double the next guy. "I just get paired with him all the time. This goes way back 20, 25 years. I've always respected his game and we're very good friends with their family. "It's a comfortable pairing. I love watching him play. I would hope that he probably feels similarly about me. "We have mutual respect for each other. He's a world class player and he's been doing it a long time. I would love it if we could go the distance here."
