It seems appropriate that an airline boarding pass holds the key to Rory McIlroy’s secret of flying higher and higher in 2015.
But this is no ordinary boarding pass. The world No.1 revealed during his Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship pre-tournament press conference that he has been writing down his goals for the season while taking his first flight of the year, which usually is Dublin to Dubai.
McIlroy explained: “Every year, I fly to Dubai to do a week or 10 days of prep before Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which is usually my first tournament of the year.
“I write my goals down on the back of my boarding pass, memorise them, put it in my wallet and don’t look at them again until the end of the year. So, in the wallet in my back pocket right now is a boarding pass with my goals for the year.
“I don’t really want to share them with anyone else. They are just my little goals and I’ll take out that boarding pass at the year’s end and see how well I’ve done.”
What we do know is that this year McIlroy has jotted down seven things he wants to achieve. In 2014, one failure was his aim to win six tournaments worldwide. “I won just four,” sighed McIlroy. But did that include two majors? “No. There was one.”
It’s been a tradition with McIlroy for several years now, but one that might not last very long.
“I have been doing this since the start of my career. It’s funny… the (seat) numbers have gradually got less and less, 13B, 12A and on down. It’s been nice,” said the Northern Irishman, who was seated on 1A as he flew in to Dubai on January 4.
“One day, I won’t need a boarding pass, that’s the ultimate.”
And while McIlroy has no immediate plans to buy a private jet, he is intent on launching another bid to win the Falcon Trophy this week. He has finished runner-up three times in the tournament in seven starts, including last year when he lost by a shot to Pablo Larrazabal despite incurring a two-shot penalty on the opening day.
“I definitely feel like I’ve got unfinished business here because I’ve come close a couple of times,” said McIlroy.
“It’s a golf course I really feel comfortable on. It’s a golf course that I know I can win on and it’s just a matter of being smart and being fully aware of what you’re doing and not brushing sand off a fringe or not having your foot on a white line that shouldn’t be there…
“But hopefully, in the not‑too‑distant future, I can win this event, because I’ve come close, and for it to be my eighth year, I feel like I’ve been patient enough.”
One of those seven goals on his boarding pass this year must be getting into the Green Jacket come April 12. A Masters win would complete a career grand slam for the 25-year-old and give him a third back-to-back major title.
“I know what to anticipate leading up to Augusta,” said McIlroy, who revealed he would play six tournaments before heading off to Augusta. And for me it’s about trying to treat it the same way I have done and not put any more emphasis on it than there already is.
“It’s the first major of the year. People have been waiting for eight months for a major to come around. There’s so much build-up and hype going into Augusta, anyway.
“So it’s just about making sure I’m as well prepared as I possibly can be going into that event, and I feel like I’ve got a good routine and mental strategy going into majors now where I try not to let too much affect me.
“I try not to look at too much stuff and really just go into my own little world for those weeks.
“It’s been working pretty well, so I’ll try to just keep doing what I’ve been doing and keep to my routines, and if I can do that, that will give me the best possible chance to play well that week.”
