McIlroy’s Mindset When Playing Golf
This past Sunday, Rory McIlroy won the 2014 PGA Championship. This is McIlroy’s fourth major championship win.
McIlroy shot 68 and finished 16 under par, followed closely by Phil Mickelson (15 under par), Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson (14 under par).
The first nine holes were rough for McIlroy. He bogeyed two of the first six holes, leaving him a couple shots back of the lead.
How do champions mount a come-from-behind win?
He remained patient and knew that he could mount a come back…
McIlroy stated, “I was like, okay, let’s try and shoot 30 on this back nine. I knew there were birdies out there for me. I’ve played the back nine really well all week. I’ve probably played it better than anyone in the field, and I knew that.”
When he got to the back nine holes, he was able to do just that. He stayed patient by not allowing a “flat” start to derail his momentum.
McIlroy’s mental keys to grinding it out and coming from behind:
1. Full confidence in your abilities. Rory McIlroy played his game.
“I’ve got that sense of belief in myself now that I go into every tournament I play knowing that I can win. It’s a great feeling to have. It’s great to have in your self‑belief and your confidence; knowing that if I can just play my game, there’s a good chance that I’ll walk away with the win.”
2. If you have a rough start, stay patient. Put the poor start behind you and look to the next few holes to gain back momentum. McIlroy did just that during the back nine.
“Through the first five or six holes today, I felt a little flat. I felt flat and I really needed to dig deep and say, there’s only 12 more holes left in this thing and you just have to try and put everything into it.”
3. Believe that you can play your best, even after playing not so great.
“To win it in this fashion and this style, it means a lot. It means that I know that I can do it. I know that I can come‑from‑behind. I know that I can mix it up with the best players in the world down the stretch in a major and come out on top.“
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