Rory McIlroy Interview

The theory is that is takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. How much of your younger life was spent on the golf course?

I would say a lot more than 10,000 hours. I wasn’t counting, of course, but I would say that I spent much more time on the course than at home when I was a kid. A lot of that time was playing golf but I also spent time hanging out with friends, watching golf on TV, and doing a little homework too.

When you’re going into the final day of a tournament as the leader, how do you spend your time the night before, ensuring that you’re prepared both mentally and physically?

My mental and physical preparation is something that doesn’t ever really stop, except when I‘m taking a break from golf. The night before the final day is simply spent doing what I do every tournament day - a short time at the gym, a sensible dinner and plenty of rest. So, if I keep to that routine, I don’t need to change much in my preparation for each event I play.

Every golfer knows that precision is a vital quality. How often do you need to reassess your style, or maybe adjust certain aspects of your game?

I really believe that something should only be changed if it isn’t working well or helping with my results. But even then, it’s more about tweaking or making minor adjustments than dramatically altering the swing I’ve had for most of my life. What has really changed for me in the last few years is the time I spend on my fitness. I have a long career ahead of me and I need to be physically and mentally up to the task.