McIlroy true to his rituals Golf Tips

McIlroy true to his rituals

July 11, 2011, 12:35 am

SANDWICH, ENGLAND – Eight days ago, Rory McIlroy, still not quite at ease with his new celebrity, slipped into Kent for a couple of practice rounds at Royal St. Georges with the stealth of a cat burglar.

Tuesday he came back to a heros welcome, ready to play his first tournament since he set the golf world on its ear with his record-setting 16-under-par U.S. Open performance.

Its nice to be the centre of attention, said McIlroy. Ive prepared exactly the same way for the last few majors and I feel its a process that works for me. I come to the course the week before, play a couple of rounds and then not come in for the tournament itself until Tuesday afternoon.

I used to do it to stay under the radar but Im not sure Ill be able to accomplish that any more. It seems to have been the best way to approach a tournament so Ill just keep doing it.

McIlroy continued another of his rituals Monday night by playing nine holes with his dad at Royal County Down, not far from his Holywood, Northern Ireland home.

It was just me and him on the course, basically no one else, said McIlroy. I played nine holes and he just walked around with me. It was a nice moment. We did the exact same thing last year going into St. Andrews. It brought back a lot of memories, playing with my dad, long summer nights.

McIlroy is officially a celebrity now and he says he has to get used to it.

It has been a life-changing experience, he said. But Ive always wanted to be a successful golfer and be one of the best players in the world and to win major championships. If I have to put up with a few things along the way, then Im fine with that.

Golf Tips