Rory McIlroy ready for THE PLAYERS with adjusted attitude

Rory McIlroy is fresh and rested ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship. With a revamped outlook on his game, he’s ready to win one of the few events that has eluded his grasp.

Looking fresh and rested, Rory McIlroy came to meet the media at THE PLAYERS Championship, his ninth appearance at what many are now calling the fifth major. He confessed that he fought the design of the golf course for several years and believes that is why he has not been more successful at THE PLAYERS Championship.

“I sort of struggled starting off with the first couple years I played, and then I sort of learned to play the golf course a little bit better and reined myself in on some tee shots,” McIlroy said about his history at the course.

His change in strategy got him some recent top ten placements, but as yet not a victory. However, his attitude about the tournament changed when he started staying at beachfront hotels. He goes for walks or sits on the balcony and watches what’s happening in the ocean and on the beach, taking a mental holiday.

“The beach here is so much better than the beach we have back in Jupiter. It’s like it’s big and flat and you can run on it, you can walk on it, and it doesn’t really pull the legs out of you like it does back down a little bit south of here. But, yeah, it’s just a nice, relaxed environment,” he explained.

He also learned to accept the designs of Pete Dye who created the monsterpiece of terrain called TPC Sawgrass.

"“I’ve learnt to like the golf course,” McIlroy added. “The first time you get on some Pete Dye courses, they’re very strange, and they set you up at wrong angles, and visually they’re just a little bit not what you want to see, but you learn to deal with it and play the way he wants you to play.”"

The game that TPC Sawgrass demands isn’t necessarily the game Rory McIlroy usually plays

He pointed out that he stubbornly tried to play TPC Sawgrass like he wanted to play it, which is different than the way it was designed to be played. He used to try to hit his drives longer and take advantage of his length. However, doing that put him in places that were not designed to give him a good second shot.

"“I felt like why should I try and play from the rest, the same spot as everyone else when I can drive it 20 or 30 yards further, but the course just doesn’t allow you to do that,” he added having a few more seasons of experience. “That’s why I’ve said before, it doesn’t suit a long hitter, it doesn’t suit a short hitter, it is sort of wide open.”"

More from Pro Golf Now

His comment echoed Tiger Woods in his pre-tournament press conference when Woods said, that Pete Dye “likes to, one, try and intimidate you visually, and then tries to really punish you for making a mistake.”

Woods added that there were only a few holes where length off the tee was a benefit, notably a couple of the par fives and perhaps the 14th.

"“Generally we’re all kind of playing from the same spot, and that just opens up the field,” Woods explained. “That’s one of the reasons why we’ve seen guys who hit the ball long like Davis Love has over the years, or you have a shorter hitter like Fred Funk winning. So many guys have a chance to win here, and that’s what makes this championship so difficult to win is that it’s open to a lot of players.”"

McIlroy will be selective with his driver and likely will only use it on the 5^th and 9^th on the front side and the 11^th, 14^th, 15^th and 16^th on the back. He may use it on the 18^th, depending on the wind.

Next: The PLAYERS Championship Fantasy Picks

“Definitely more 2-irons and 3-woods off tees than driver this week,” he said. “It’s sort of out of the northwest, and it was out of the northeast yesterday and today, so it will be probably a similar direction, and so probably five or six drivers.”

How does he feel about the first round?

“Obviously got a pretty good pairing tomorrow morning, or grouping, so I’m excited to start and get going,” he added.

McIlroy plays with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas teeing off Thursday at 8:27 AM and Friday at 1:52 PM local time.