World No.1 Not One Of McIlroy's 2020 Goals

The four-time Major winner is hoping that he becomes World No.1 as a "by-product" of good play

World No.1 Not One Of McIlroy's 2020 Goals

Rory McIlroy makes his first start of 2020 this week in California at the Farmers Insurance Open.

The 2019 PGA Tour Player of the Year tees it up at Torrey Pines with the chance to overtake Brooks Koepka as World No.1 if he is victorious.

McIlroy, however, says that the World No.1 position isn't even on his list of goals this year, but says that he hopes it'll be a by-product of good golf.

"I mean, it didn't get on the list of goals at the start of the year if that's what you're sort of asking," the 30-year-old said of the World Number One spot.

"I guess my thing is when I set myself goals, I set myself goals like I want to be plus-one strokes gained approach play, I want to be -- it's all about the process, it's all about the game, it's all about trying to make improvements.

"If I do that and I achieve those goals, then hopefully inevitably I get to that position.

"That's sort of the way I look at it. It is a by-product of playing consistently good golf and I feel like I've done that for quite a while now.

"So I don't want to say it feels like it's just a matter of time, but if I just keep doing what I'm doing, if it isn't this week, then hopefully it's a couple weeks down the line and I'll have my chances.

"So I'm not putting myself under any pressure this week to get it done. If I play well enough for a sustained period of time, hopefully I get there."

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One of the goals Rory revealed that he set himself last year was to win six times.

He has that goal again this year.

The Northern Irishman won five times in 2012 but has never won six in a calendar year - he's hoping to change that in 2020.

"My goals are pretty much the same as every year. I want to play the best golf that I possibly can. I want to win as much as I can," he said.

"I set myself a goal of winning six times last year and I won four, so I didn't quite achieve it but I still had a good year.

"Five is the most that I've ever won and I would like to top that at some point, so I think that six number is still something that I strive towards.

"But there's a lot of stuff that goes into winning those tournaments, so I've got to focus on my practice and what I need to do there, and if I do all that right, then hopefully getting to that six number and winning those tournaments is just a by-product of all the good stuff that I do away from the course."

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