Rory McIlroy came into the DP World Tour Championship with a work-in-progress swing change, and it’s paying dividends for the world number three.
McIlroy is arguably one of the best strikers of the ball and can destroy courses off the tee, but there is a tendency for things to go wrong, especially left, when under pressure. For this reason, he’s been working hard on tightening the dispersion when things get slightly out of shape, and with the penalising rough on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week, it is clear to see that the hard work is paying off.
Under Pressure
“My start line is more consistent than before, but I’m still able to shape shots the same way, though I’ve tightened the width from the start line,” commented McIlroy. “The criticism I’ve had about my game over the last 18 months is that my misses have been too destructive. I know we can’t hit perfect golf shots all the time; it’s all about minimising your misses.
“When I was swinging the golf club under pressure, there was an extra move I had to make to open my chest early in the downswing to get the club back on line. I could do it and match up the movement, but under pressure, it was becoming more difficult.
The Change
“Going from the second half of the backswing to the first half of the downswing, if I can get that more consistent and efficient, I should produce better golf shots, especially under pressure.”
Just one shot off the lead going into the weekend, he remains the favourite to clinch the DP World Tour Championship title. But does he think the unnecessary expectation to win the event is unfair or a compliment when compared to other professionals by the media and fans?
Expectation
“Overall, I have to take it as a compliment,” added McIlroy. “It’s a testament to the volume of work I’ve put in over my 18-year career that I’m held to such a high standard. But I want to live up to those standards too; it’s not just everyone else. I fully expect to turn up to tournaments and have every chance to win. I’m under no illusions that I’m not going to win every time, but with the number of chances I’ve given myself this year, I probably should have won a few more.
“Though if I have another couple of good days here and go on to win, I will probably look back on 2024 pretty fondly.”
