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The four-time major champ was asked Tuesday if he wishes he were
a "more boring" player, rather than continue his recent tendency
to vacillate between brilliant performances and meltdowns.
"I mean, my record speaks for itself," McIlroy said. "Yeah,
you're going to have -- I mean, everyone has highs. Everyone has
lows. But I've basically got a 50 percent top-10 record in my
career, and that is a pretty high level of consistency."
McIlroy opened with a 65 to lead the Arnold Palmer after one
round. After an even-par 72 on Friday, he was among the many
players to succumb to the tough playing conditions on the
weekend. McIlroy posted consecutive rounds of 76 and tied for
13th.
"I feel punch drunk, to be honest," he said Sunday, admitting
frustration. "The weekend, it's like crazy golf. You just don't
get rewarded for good shots."
At Sawgrass, McIlroy said he treated Monday as a travel day and
didn't touch his clubs, and he feels recharged and more prepared
for the next tournament.
McIlroy won The Players in 2019, part of a terrific season in
which he also claimed his second Tour Championship. But he went
all of 2020 and part of 2021 without winning again, before
breaking his drought at the Wells Fargo Championship last May.
"Yes, OK, could I have won more tournaments? Of course I could
have won more tournaments, but so could everyone," McIlroy said.
"Everyone could say that. Sometimes you need the lows to learn
about what you need to do to go forward. I've always welcomed
those low times because that's where growth comes from. That's
where improvement comes from and reassessing where you are."
McIlroy is looking for a better week at Sawgrass after he opened
last year's title defense with a first-round 79 and missed the
cut.
"I don't want to tempt fate," he said Tuesday, "but there would
have to be a drastic change in my game from now until Thursday
for me to go and shoot 79 in the first round, but it is golf and
you never know."
--Field Level Media
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