CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 鈥� Rory McIlroy appeared rested and relaxed as he prepared for his first tournament since .
Just don’t let that be confused with complacency.
The world’s No. 2-ranked player said he feels 鈥渕ore motivated” than ever heading into a major stretch that includes the PGA Championship next week outside of Philadelphia and the U.S. Open next month at Shinnecock Hills. First up though is this week’s at Quail Hollow, where McIlroy earned his first PGA Tour victory 16 years ago and has won four times.
鈥淚’m excited for the road ahead,鈥� the said Wednesday after his Pro-Am round.
It’s been more than three weeks since McIlroy slipped on the green jacket for a second time after becoming just the fourth player in 90 years to go back-to-back at the Masters.
He described this year’s post-Masters break from golf as 鈥渓ess hectic” than last year’s whirlwind tour.
The 37-year-old McIlroy spent most of his time at his home in Jupiter, Florida, although he did visit New York with his wife Erica Stoll and attended a White House state dinner held for King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
But it’s what he didn’t do that has left him feeling refreshed.
He didn’t travel back home to Northern Ireland to celebrate his Masters win like he did in 2025, largely because his parents were already in the United States to see it in person. They skipped last year’s Masters so as not to jinx their son’s chances of completing the career grand slam after years of disappointment.
He also didn’t do the media rounds, electing for more 鈥渃hill鈥� time at home, allowing him to take his daughter Poppy to tennis lessons.
鈥淚 gave myself a good 10 days to enjoy myself and then thought I needed to get back on the range and start to practice and get ready for this stretch coming up,鈥� McIlroy said.
The stretch begins Thursday with the tuneup at Quail Hollow, a place where McIlroy is adored by fans and often serenaded with the 鈥淗appy Birthday鈥� song given the tournament often falls during his birthday.
He was 20 when he won his first PGA tournament here, earning him immediate popularity in Charlotte.
In some ways, he’s become the city’s adopted golfer.
He has won here four times on a course that sets up perfectly to complement his length off the tee, including a dominant seven-shot victory in 2015 in which he established a new tournament record at 21-under 267 after a third-round 61.
鈥淚 really feel like this tournament got my career going,鈥� McIlroy said. 鈥淭his is 16 years I鈥檝e been coming here, so it鈥檚 been a fun place, I鈥檝e had success. It鈥檚 somewhere I always love coming back to.鈥�
He enters this week as the slight favorite to win (+600) over the red-hot Cameron Young (+850), who .
McIlroy feels good about his chances despite the three-week layoff that included skipping the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship.
He won the Truist Championship by five shots over Xander Schauffele the last time it was played at Quail Hollow in 2024, but surprisingly struggled here at the 2025 PGA Championship, finishing tied for 47th.
鈥淪lightly different setup than the PGA last year, and slightly different conditions,鈥� McIlroy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been very dry here by all accounts, so the greens are very firm. The rough is down a little bit. Sort of more, probably more in keeping with what the golf course was like in 2024, when the tournament was last here. The course is great.鈥�
McIlroy said returning to action after winning the Masters a second time feels much different than a year ago.
鈥淚 felt like winning the Grand Slam was going to be this life-changing thing and in some ways it was, but in other ways I had to remember like, 鈥楴o, I still have a lot of my career left and I want to keep playing and keep competing,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淪o this year I think winning was validation for all the work that I鈥檝e put in over the last few years to get myself back to this place where I鈥檓 winning majors.鈥�
Schauffele said it will be a tall task beating McIlroy this week and moving forward if he plays the way he did at Augusta National.
鈥淗is best club (driver) was his worst club, and he still won the tournament,” Schauffele said. “That鈥檚 a little scary, obviously, if you鈥檙e competing against him.鈥�
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