It’s been a long time since we saw Rory McIlroy soaring. Last year, when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, fans hoped the 29-year-old was rising from the adversity of his injury-plagued 2017 when he failed to win anywhere in the world. However, Rory had difficulty maintaining his game and his performance fluctuated until the end of the season as a result.
This year, hopes are high for McIlroy to soar again. On March 14-17, McIlroy dominated the richest tournament in the world, THE PLAYERS Championship, claiming his first PGA Tour title since March 2018. Despite being jubilant over his victory at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy displayed a calm demeanor when he spoke to the press in the wake of his triumph at the tournament dubbed as “the fifth major.” "I'm going to sit down and see what I can take from this and try to put it into the next few weeks,” said McIlroy, as quoted by the BBC and likely with the Masters on his mind.
McIlroy’s attitude towards this win contrasts with his reactions following his victories at The Open, Bridgestone Invitational, and US PGA Championship in 2014. "Oh yes, I'm going to be celebrating this," he laughed back then. The McIlroy of today is more reserved about his outlook and presents a more mature approach. This maturity also extends to his game. He’s been playing consistently great golf over the last couple of months with his worst finish in six consecutive PGA Tour events being a share of sixth place.
