DUBLIN, Ohio – After missing his second consecutive cut at Wentworth last week, Rory McIlroy said he may have taken his eye off the proverbial ball.
World No. 1 Luke Donald can empathize with the recent struggles of the reigning U.S. Open champion.
‘I remember when I was 23 and had an attractive girlfriend,’ Donald said Wednesday, ‘I would take my eye off the ball sometimes, as well. You can’t blame the kid.’
McIlroy returned to the practice ground at Wentworth on Saturday before taking off to Paris to spend some time with girlfriend and tennis player Caroline Wozniacki as she prepared for the French Open. The Ulsterman was criticized for the decision.
Donald seems satisfied McIlroy has realized the error of his ways.
‘It looks like he’s trying to focus on practicing a little bit harder and getting back to what he does,’ he said.
McIlroy’s coach Michael Bannon flew over to Ohio to spend a second consecutive week with his star pupil. The world No. 2 feels doubling down with his teacher is what he needed to do.
‘When you’ve went on a run where you’ve hardly finished outside the top five and then all of a sudden miss two cuts, it’s more of a shock than anything else,’ McIlroy said.
‘I just have to knuckle down and figure it out and get back to the way I was at the start of the year.’