Rory McIlroy: Fatherhood, Scheffler admiration, and Kerry course on his bucket list

Along with several courses in the US, Rory McIlroy said Waterville in County Kerry is a golf course he'd love to play

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: In recent years, Rory McIlroy has learned that he's more like his father Gerry than he thought. Pic: AP Photo/Caroline Brehman

Rory McIlroy occasionally looks at Scottie Scheffler and wonders if he should take another leaf out of the world number one’s book. McIlroy sometimes feels as though he puts too much on his own shoulders.

“He has no ego when he plays golf,” McIlroy told the Fried Egg podcast about Scheffler.

“Doesn't really care if he's the longest, if he's the straightest, if he's the best iron player, if he's the best putter; he competes and he gets it done, and sometimes it's not always pretty but when you add up the score at the end of the day, you're like, 'oh, it was a 67 - again'.

“He doesn't have many distractions. He lives a relatively simple life. He has got access to everything and everyone in the world if he wants it, but he actively chooses not to go that way. I think that works in his favour. He has people around him that keep him incredibly grounded. I think his faith is a big part of that as well.

“He seems to just be in this mindset where whatever happens on the golf course happens. It doesn't make him any more, any less of a man. He goes home and he's happy with his family and he shows up the next day and he plays golf again.

“I admire him so much for that because I've experienced in this world where you can be pulled in so many different directions. You have all these other opportunities that you can go and chase. I have quite a curious mind, so I do go and chase those but then sometimes I do look at Scottie and be like, ‘Maybe I wish I didn't have so much going on because it works for him so well’.” 

In the last few years, McIlroy has learned he’s more like his father Gerry than he thought.

“I'm an eternal optimist," said McIlroy. "I try to see the good in everything. I try to find silver linings anywhere that I look. That's definitely an attribute I get from my dad.

“I think to have the longevity that I've had in this game, you have to be that way. It's about having hope and about seeing the good in things - that's where my resilience comes from. It's not from this grit and determination and this macho alpha side of myself.

“It's just more that I believe good things are going to happen. I don't know if that's a good naivety to live life with or not. All I can say is I'm more like my dad than I thought I was.” 

Since becoming a father, McIlroy has started to appreciate his own parents more. Independence is what he’d like to most pass on to his daughter, Poppy.

“I want her to make her own mistakes,” he said. “I want her to learn from her own mistakes. I don't want to have her go through life, especially the early years of her life, being so sheltered, hovered over that she doesn't get to make mistakes and she doesn't get to learn from those and grow from those. That to me is a big deal.” 

McIlroy’s daughter has shown an interest in golf but he would prefer it doesn’t become the only way they spend time together.

“I think it's easier for me to say what the relationship is I don't want her to have with the game rather than one that I do,” he said.

“I certainly don't want it to be something where that's the only way she feels like she can spend time with me.

“There's that part of it. But then I'd like her to enjoy the game. I would like her to get joy from playing, whatever that means.

“She has taken a bit of an interest in the game. She's got a nice little swing and she likes going out there and hitting balls. And loves TGL.

“I just want golf to be one part of her life. I don't want her to have to think that she has to play golf to appease me or spend time with me or the only way to get close to me, because then I've done a horrible job as a father, if that's what she thinks.” 

There are several golf courses McIlroy still has on his bucket list. Those include Bandon, Fishers Island, Chicago, and Pasatiempo in the US, New South Wales in Australia, and one in Kerry.

“Waterville in Ireland, I haven't played there - I'd love to play there,” said McIlroy.

“When the time comes where I have a little more free time and I'm just playing golf for fun, I'd love to go and do that stuff.

“I took that golf trip to Tara Iti in New Zealand a couple of years ago, which was absolutely amazing. I'd love to do one of those a year, and do something like that because that was so much fun.”