Rory McIlroy opens up on personal life - 'There's been a lot going on'
Rory McIlroy has opened up on his personal life after admitting 'there's been a lot going on this year' - on and off the golf course.
The 35-year-old is currently in action at the Irish Open at Royal County Down, and heads into Saturday's third round just two shots off the lead.
A win on home soil would be a massive shot in the arm for McIlroy, who has endured a difficult season on the PGA Tour and also juggled some personal issues away from the fairways.
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McIlroy's major drought continued in 2024, including a nightmare US Open meltdown when he bogeyed three of the last four holes to lose out to Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst. He also narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal competing for Team Ireland in Paris.
The ongoing PGA Tour/LIV Golf fallout also continued this year, with McIlroy firmly in the spotlight as the warring golf factions exchanged blows.
Now McIlroy has opened up on the turbulent year. Speaking on the Late Late Show with Patrick Kielty, he said: "There's been a lot going on this year and then obviously personal wise as well. Sometimes life can get a lot and get too much and I had to take a little bit of a break and get away from the game more than anything else.
"Going back to the talk of this merger and LIV and all that I think golf and the business of golf had become all-consuming to me the last couple of years and I needed to take a bit of time away to realise what was important to me. Friends, family, enjoying myself, enjoying the fact you were this little boy in Holywood and you've grown up to be whatever it is that I am and I need to enjoy it."
Meanwhile, McIlroy says he bought his daughter Poppy her first set of 'real' golf clubs this year, but insists he won't be forcing her to take up the sport and follow in her daddy's footsteps.
He added: "We got her her first real clubs for her birthday this year. She's taken a little bit of interest this year but if she did I would be 100 percent supportive but at the same time I wouldn't mind if she did something different.
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"It's not about being just a sportsperson there is all the rest of it that comes with it, especially in this age of social media and all this stuff you try to deal with so if it's your daughter you're trying to protect her from that as much as you can. "
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