Rory McIlroy Confident Best Days Are Ahead Of Him
McIlroy has responded to doubters who may believe his best golf is in the past


The Northern Irishman has responded to doubters who may think his best golf is in the past
Rory McIlroy Confident Best Days Are Ahead Of Him
Rory McIlroy says he believes that his best days are ahead of him as he seeks his first title since November 2019 this week at TPC Sawgrass.
Despite back-to-back top 10s, Rory has slipped out of the world's top 10 for the first time in two years and faces doubters as his winless run continues.
He enters the Players Championship following a disappointing 76 to close out the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he opened with a 66.
The four-time Major winner and former World No.1, however, seems confident in his mindset that plenty more victories will come in the future.
"No, I don't think you can ever think that," he said after being asked if his best days are behind him.
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"I've talked about this before; you have to be an eternal optimist in this game, and I truly believe that my best days are ahead of me.
"There's no point in me being out here if I didn't think that.
"That's just not part of my psyche or anyone's psyche out here.
"I think that's the difference between people that make it to the elite level and the people that don't, because they don't think that way.
"I certainly believe that my best days are ahead of me, and I'm working hard to make sure that they are."
Rory McIlroy won four Majors between 2011 and 2014, with his Major drought currently standing at six-and-a-half years since his PGA Championship triumph at Valhalla.
The 31-year-old seeks to become just the sixth male golfer to complete the modern Major career grand slam next month at Augusta National.
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Related: McIlroy: Distance Insights Project "a huge waste of time and money"

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, X and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5