CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy looked rested and relaxed as he prepared for his first tournament since winning back-to-back Masters championships.
Don’t confuse that with complacency.
The world No. 2 player said he feels more “motivated” than ever before heading into major competitions, including the PGA Championship in suburban Philadelphia next week and the U.S. Open at Sinek Hills next month. First up is this week’s Tourist Championship at Quail Hollow, where McIlroy won his first PGA Tour victory 16 years ago and has won four times.
“I’m excited about the road ahead,” the six-time major champion said Wednesday after the Pro-Am round.
It’s been more than three weeks since McIlroy donned the green jacket for the second time, becoming the fourth player in 90 years to play in the Masters two years in a row.
He said this year’s post-Masters golf vacation was “less hectic” than last year’s hectic tour.
The 37-year-old spent most of his time at his home in Jupiter, Florida, but he did visit New York with his wife Erica Stoll to attend the White House State Dinner for King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
But because he didn’t do that, he felt refreshed.
He did not return to his hometown in Northern Ireland to celebrate his Masters victory as he did in 2025, mainly because his parents had already come to the United States to watch the match in person. They skipped last year’s Masters to avoid ruining their son’s chances at a career Grand Slam after years of disappointment.
He also declined to speak to the media, choosing to spend more time “relaxing” at home and allowing his daughter Poppy to attend tennis lessons.
“I thought I needed to have a good 10 days and get back on the range and start practicing and get ready for this period of time ahead,” McIlroy said.
The game begins Thursday with conditioning at Quail Hollow. McIlroy is beloved by fans, and his birthday often coincides with the tournament, which is why he is often serenaded with the song “Happy Birthday.”
He won his first PGA tournament here at age 20 and quickly became popular in Charlotte.
In a sense, he became the city’s adopted golfer.
He has won four times here on a course perfectly set to compensate for the length of his tee shot, including a commanding seven-stroke victory in 2015, when he shot a third-round 61 to set a tournament record at 21-under 267.
“I really feel like this tournament has advanced my career,” McIlroy said. “I’ve been here for 16 years. It’s been a fun place and I’ve had some success. It’s a place I always love coming back to.”
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, he enters this week as a slight favorite to win (+600) ahead of up-and-comer Cameron Young (+910), who won last weekend at Doral.
McIlroy is happy with his chances despite a three-week layoff that included missing RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship.
He won the last Truist tournament at Quail Hollow in 2024 by five strokes over Xander Schauffele, but had a surprisingly difficult time at the 2025 PGA Championship, finishing tied for 47th.
“The setup is a little different than last year’s PGA, the conditions are a little different,” McIlroy said. “It’s obviously very dry here, the greens are very hard, the rough is a little bit downhill. If anything, it looks a lot like the golf course probably looked in 2024, the last time a tournament was held here. The course is great.”
McIlroy said he feels much different than he did a year ago upon his return after winning the Masters for the second time.
“I felt like winning a Grand Slam would be a life-changing thing, and in some ways it was, but in other ways I had to remind myself, ‘No, I still have a lot of career left and I want to keep playing and keep competing,'” he said. “So I think winning this year validated all the hard work we’ve put in over the past few years to get back to this place where we win majors.”
Schauffele said if he plays like he did at Augusta National, it will be a tough task to beat McIlroy this week and advance.
“His best club (driver) was his worst club and he still won the tournament,” Schauffele said. “Obviously it’s a little scary to play against him.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
