Rory McIlroy ready for 'two big weeks' after blemish-free Cognizant finish and Seminole round with dad Gerry

​Rory McIlroy is relishing “two big weeks” in his busy schedule following a blemish-free finish on Sunday to the Cognizant Classic.
By Patrick Van Dort
Published 4th Mar 2024, 16:22 BST
Updated 4th Mar 2024, 16:22 BST
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy walks from the fifth tee during his final round of The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National on Sunday. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy walks from the fifth tee during his final round of The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National on Sunday. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy walks from the fifth tee during his final round of The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National on Sunday. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Severe weather delays disrupted the closing round of the PGA National event for over three hours, forcing a Monday finish for the first since 2015.

However, McIlroy managed to wrap up his three-under Sunday round for an overall 10-under tally and, ultimately, seven off top spot as Austin Eckroat cemented victory on the fifth day.

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McIlroy posted birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th alongside a card of pars and told NBC Sports at the finish it was “another week where I've learnt a little bit about my game”.

Now his focus turns to this week’s Bay Hill outing for the Arnold Palmer Invitational before The Players Championship over March 14-17 to close out his Florida-based run, with the Valero Texas Open in April.

"I feel like it's been pretty stop-start since I got back from the Middle East,” said McIlroy, who kicked off 2024 with runner-up then victory at Dubai events before tied 66th during a rain-ruined Pebble Beach appearance and share of 24th across the Genesis Invitational for PGA Tour events. "I played Pebble, had a week off then LA (Genesis), had a week off then now.

"And I've learnt a lot about my game.

"I've still got this left miss that I'm trying to iron out a little bit but at least I know what my patterns are so that when I get on the golf course I know that that's the miss.

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"Results-wise it hasn't been what I've wanted the last three tournaments since coming back to the States.

"But two big weeks the next two that I've had success at...looking forward to going up there and continuing on this run of golf that I'm playing.”

McIlroy offered an insight into his weather-delayed Sunday, telling NBC Sports how “I was in the gym this morning at 7.30am, it's just after 6.30pm now...so it's been an 11-hour day” but “just a matter of keeping hydrated, keeping fuelled and making sure you're ready”.

And McIlroy’s Sunday finish allowed him to play a round alongside his father Gerry on Monday in the exclusive Seminole Pro-Member event which attracts high-profile pros, businessmen and celebrities.

Related topics:Rory McIlroyGenesis