Tour Championship: new father Rory McIlroy wants to win to crown the best week of his life | Golf news

“It has already been the best week of my life, and obviously this would be the icing on the cake”

Rory McIlroy became a father for the first time on Monday

Rory McIlroy feels more focused heading into the Tour Championship as a new father as he looks to crown “the best week of my life” with another FedExCup crown.

McIlroy’s wife, Erica, gave birth to a baby girl on Monday, and her pregnancy was only made public last weekend when the world’s No. 4 admitted that her mind had been elsewhere, in particular, in her last few years. two tournaments.

McIlroy chose not to withdraw from the Tour Championship

With the arrival of Poppy Kennedy McIlroy and with the mother and baby in good health, McIlroy made the short trip to Atlanta for the PGA Tour season finale, and believes it will be easier for him to focus on golf instead. of anxiously waiting for a call. say his wife had gone into labor.

“It’s been difficult to think about golf just because I’ve been so focused on making sure everything is okay at home,” said McIlroy, who has yet to achieve a top-10 finish in eight starts since the coronavirus shutdown.

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“I think it has been difficult because you are in limbo about when it will arrive, and then in the back of your mind you hope everything works out. You hope your daughter is safe. You hope your wife is safe.

“There are many different things and there are many things that go through your head, and the fact that everything went well and everyone is fine and recovering at home, I feel more comfortable now that I can come here and play golf and maybe stop think for four or five hours a day, and that’s a nice thing to do.

“And then obviously I can get a couple of good nights sleep before I go home!

McIlroy starts seven shots behind Dustin Johnson this week

“But maybe this is what I needed, just for everything to happen and work out well. I haven’t played my best since coming back from after Covid, so maybe things just fall into place. It’s already been the best week of my life, and this would obviously be the icing on the cake. “

McIlroy revealed that the birth was imminent after his third round at the BMW Championship last week, where he hinted that he might withdraw from the Tour Championship to stay home with Erica and Poppy.

“It was difficult to leave, really difficult to leave,” he added. “But at the end of the day, life doesn’t stop. Life goes on. And like I said, I know Erica is surrounded by her family, and my mom and dad are right around the corner, so she has all the the help he needs, so I felt a little more comfortable being able to go. “

McIlroy hasn’t had a top 10 in his last eight outings

McIlroy will start this week’s tournament seven shots behind leader Dustin Johnson in the tiered start format, although he did reverse a five-shot deficit when he broke into his second FedExCup title.

But win or lose this week, you won’t find a happier, more contented man in East Lake.

“If I can’t be content and happy right now, I don’t think I ever will be,” McIlroy said. “Obviously we’ve known all this year that Erica was pregnant. We were going to have our first child. Yeah, it’s amazing. It’s the best part of life.

“Sometimes I think that everything that has happened to me on the golf course and off the golf course has already surpassed my wildest dreams, and sometimes I have to pinch myself and wonder why me, why am I so lucky?

“But I’m so thankful that everything that’s happened to me has happened to me. I don’t take this for granted, playing golf and being who I am, but obviously I don’t take my life off course either. Especially, never that. it has been more evident than in recent days. “