"I might not have reached the road but I threw it into the trees off the ninth tee at Liberty National, so if someone wants to go get a three-wood, there's one in there somewhere!" Rory McIlroy arrived at the BMW Championship without a three-wood!
Wednesday 25 August 2021 20:20, UK
Rory McIlroy spent extra time on the range ahead of the BMW Championship to avail himself with a new three-wood, having launched his towards the New Jersey Turnpike on Monday!
McIlroy's confession would have had a few Liberty National members scurrying to the trees to the right of the ninth tee, where there was the possibility of finding McIlroy's discarded three-wood if it did not make the carry to the road.
A bogey-six at the eighth and a carved tee shot off the ninth tee prompted McIlroy's furious club-hurl on the delayed final day of The Northern Trust, where he finished tied for 43rd and dropped out of the world's top 15 for the first time since 2009.
It was noted by a journalist that he appeared to spend longer than usual on the practice range at Caves Valley in Maryland on Tuesday, forcing him to come clean about his reason.
"So, I needed to try to get into a new three-wood, because I threw my three-wood onto the New Jersey Turnpike off the ninth hole on Monday, and so I was without a three-wood coming here," he said.
"I might not have reached the road but I threw it into the trees off the ninth tee at Liberty National, so if someone wants to go get a three-wood, there's one in there somewhere!"
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McIlroy is also feeling the effects of his busy 2021 schedule as he prepares for the final two events of the PGA Tour season, and he also announced he would not be travelling to Wentworth for the BMW PGA Championship, feeling a couple of weeks' rest is more appropriate ahead of the Ryder Cup.
"I think having two weeks off after the Tour Championship is going to be nice," added the two-time FedExCup champion. "I was planning to go over to Wentworth to play the BMW PGA, but it's just too much travel.
"And with what's coming up with Ryder Cup, that's a long week, no matter if you're in Europe or the States, especially as I haven't missed a session yet. So say I play five sessions again, yeah, it's a really long week.
"So the two weeks off after the Tour Championship are going to be well needed, and I'll go in there nice and refreshed and ready to give it my all."
McIlroy is currently 28th in the FedExCup standings, with only the top 30 heading to Atlanta for next week's Tour Championship, and he is aware of the need to lift his energy and performance levels to ensure he'll be teeing it up at East Lake.
"I think I feel like a lot of guys feel right now, a little jaded, a little tired," McIlroy said. "End of the season, there's been a lot of golf, so a lot of travel.
"So I'm just sort of getting through it, to be honest. I'm going day by day and just trying to get through it as best I can and try to make it to next week. After that, two weeks off before the Ryder Cup.
"I'm just taking it day by day. The game feels pretty good, energy levels are sort of trying to dig deep at this point, but yeah, try and keep going and try and put in a good finish this week to make sure I'm in Atlanta next week."
