Iron play the big work-on for McIlroy ahead of Players Championship 

WANT AND NEED: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his shot from a bunker on the ninth hole during a practice round. Pic: Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images

One of the perks of winning 34 times across the world – including four majors and the flagship events of both the PGA and European tours – is a built-in comfort level when you show up to events like the Players Championship.

“Yeah, fortunately, there's not many places I go now where I'm not a past winner, so it's nice,” said McIlroy as the sun rose Wednesday morning at the iconic Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

McIlroy won the Players in 2019, before the pandemic. In three Sawgrass starts since, he has missed the cut twice and he tied 33rd two years ago. 

The world No. 2 arrives this week having not really featured prominently in four PGA Tour starts since kicking off 2024 with a second and first in Dubai.

“No, it hasn't been quite as good as those first couple of weeks in the Middle East, but elements of my game itself have probably been better than they were in the Middle East,” he said. “Just trying to piece it all together."

So what is he looking for this week in the $25M U.S. Players? Does he WANT a good week or NEED a good week with the Masters just a month away?

“Both probably,” McIlroy said. “It's not as if they've been … yeah, middle of the road, 20th places or whatever it is. I'm not missing cuts, but at the same time, with how I've driven the golf ball the last three weeks, I should be contending in the tournaments that I've played.” 

Already one of the best drivers in the world, McIlroy laments he’s been unable to capitalize on being the PGA Tour leader in strokes gained off the tee. 

The issue has been with his iron play giving himself enough good looks at birdies, ranking 152nd in strokes gained approach. It’s been his primary focus in preparing for this week’s Players.

“A little bit of work to do with the irons and trying to get those straightened out, but I feel like every other part of the game is in great shape,” he said. 

“I'm driving the ball well. I feel like I figured out my putting last week and I putted well the last three days at Bay Hill. It's just taking advantage of the positions I'm putting myself in off the tee.” 

McIlroy explained that he’s of two minds with his swing right now – in the zone with a wood in his hand but unable to translate the same tempo and result with his approaches.

“I have this amazing feeling with my woods at the minute … but when I try to recreate that feeling with the irons, it starts left and goes further left,” he said. 

“I think it's to do with you turn harder with a wood and you're sort of clearing harder. … It's really a feeling at the top in transition, and when I try to do it with an iron instead of a wood, I think it just sort of drops behind me. 

"I love this feeling of firing my right arm down the target line, and I can do that with my woods really well. But then when I try to do that with my irons, the club face closes over and goes left.

“It's almost like two different swings. I have a swing thought for my woods and I need a different swing thought for my irons, and that's what I've been working on over the last couple days.” 

McIlroy will start Thursday morning at 12:35 p.m. Irish time with Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth. They’ll be heading off from the 10th hole, which has been a nemesis hole for McIlroy in each of the last three years. 

He’s started with double bogey on 10 in 2021 and ’23, missing the cut both years. He only bogeyed it in 2022.

So assuming he can get off to a better start considering his driving form thus far this year, McIlroy should be able to get the positive feedback he’s searching for as he ramps up his game heading to the Masters next month. 

McIlroy continues to seek the last piece of a career grand slam at Augusta, but more concerning is the reality that he hasn’t won a major in a full decade since his back-to-back victories at Hoylake and Valhalla in 2014 when he was only 25 years old.

“I look at my record in the majors over the last couple of years, and I've definitely started to perform much more consistently in them,” he said. “Look, I'm under no illusion that the clock is ticking and it has been 10 years since I've won one of them. 

"I've had chances, and those just haven't went my way. I just need to keep putting myself in those positions, and sooner or later it's going to happen.”