Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Rory McIlroy.Alamy Stock Photo FreeMental Game 'I climbed my Everest in April, and have to look for another mountain to climb' Rory McIlroy admits he is struggling for focus and motivation after his Masters triumph. 7.34pm, 15 Jun 2025 Share options RORY MCILROY BELIEVES next month’s Open Championship at Portrush will provide the motivation and focus he needs in the wake of his astonishing Masters triumph in April. McIlroy’s post-Masters form has not been as serene as expected: instead he barely made the cut at the PGA Championship, did not play the weekend at the Canadian Open, and was again a long way from contending at this week’s US Open at Oakmont. All of this has been scored to a curiously surly tone, as he declined all media requests during the PGA Championship, breaking his silence last night in a moody, low-energy huddle with journalists. But speaking after an impressive closing round of 67 at Oakmont today, McIlroy threw his focus forward to Portrush and admitted he is searching for motivation. Advertisement “Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb”, said McIlroy. “An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those.” McIlroy continued, “If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me. Yeah, as I said, I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven’t been there the last few weeks.” The biggest technical issue in McIlroy’s game in recent weeks has been his driving, to the point he changed his driver ahead of this week’s championship. It worked, as McIlroy said he felt much better off the tee this week, admitting the missing piece in his game at the moment is that which sits between the ears. “I feel like I’ve driven the ball well all week”, said McIlroy. “After the way I drove it today, I’d say I finished in the top five in strokes gained off the tee. Really encouraged with the driver and how I drove it as well. “It’s not necessarily the driver, it’s more me and where my swing was. I feel like I got a really good feeling in my swing with the driver, which was great. Hopefully I can continue that on into next week. Yeah, it’s close, as I said. Physically I feel like my game’s there. It’s just mentally getting myself in the right frame of mind to get the best out of myself.” McIlroy ended a difficult week on the course with an excellent, six-birdie 67, the only of his four rounds under par. Gavin Cooney Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'I climbed my Everest in April, and have to look for another mountain to climb' ”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'I climbed my Everest in April, and have to look for another mountain to climb' ”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Mental Game Rory McIlroy News in 60 seconds Freeknockout football The state of play before the All-Ireland SFC and Tailteann Cup draws tomorrow 21 mins ago FreeLadies Football Dublin strike eight goals to book quarter-final place, Kerry and Galway also progress 54 mins ago FreeOn track Rhasidat Adeleke finishes sixth at Stockholm Diamond League Freefinal round Louth progress to All-Ireland knockout stages as Clare exit Freeexit door Donegal land late winner to knock Mayo out of the All-Ireland championship FreeLast Four Wicklow and Limerick complete Tailteann Cup semi-final lineup Freepogback Pogacar wins first Dauphine ahead of Tour de France title defence Sophie O'Sullivan wins 1500m gold to become NCAA Division 1 champion 'Leinster are not a normal team. 19-0 up and they bring on RG Snyman' By Royal Decree Meath stun Kerry with nine-point win to claim All-Ireland quarter-final place Here are the permutations for All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final pairings more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account