Rory McIlroy: Streaky putting doesn’t worry me

Rory McIlroy insists he’s prefer to be streaky as a putter and a player than a pedestrian plodder.

As he prepared to chase his first win of the year in the Honda Classic, the world No 3 confessed that he has all but accepted that he’s not going to putt well every week, or even contend, as his all out attacking style sometimes backfires.

“I’ve almost accepted the fact that I’m probably going to be a streaky putter, which is fine,” said McIlroy, whose record in the Honda Classic is as streaky as his putting.

“It’s served me well up until this point; when I’m on, I hole putts and it’s good. And when I don’t, in the weeks I struggle to hole putts, I still feel like I’ve got a good chance to win.”

Having finished 13th, 40th, and 70th before winning to become world No 1 in 2012, McIlroy walked off the course amid managerial problems the following year, lost in a play-off in 2014 and then missed the cut for the first time last season.

Asked if his record was a reflection of the nature of the water-strewn, windblown course, he shook his head and joked: “I think it’s the nature of me.”

While he slipped from contention to tied 20th following a closing 75 in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera last week, undone by his putting and course management as he was forced to chase, McIlroy is looking forward to having another chance.

“I was looking good for most of the week last week and had a bad finish, but I feel like my game’s there,” he said. “And that’s the great thing about golf… there’s always next week.”

Winning is McIlroy’s barometer of progress but with four events to go before the Masters, he is focusing on getting wins.

Prepared to accept that he’ll lose more often than he wins, he said: “I feel like the way I play, especially with the aggressiveness of my play, there are going to be times when it won’t always work out good for me and I’ve accepted that.

“Golf for me is all about 22 weeks in a year. If I were to have five wins in that run but then also 10 missed cuts you have to be pretty happy.”

McIlroy is scheduled to tee off with defending champion Pádraig Harrington and Open winner Zach Johnson but the Dubliner’s preparations were upset by a back problem that forced him to withdraw from yesterday morning’s Pro-Am.