Rory McIlroy is enjoying a short break at his new UK mansion before competing in the US Open next week. The world number two recently competed at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, where he finished tied for 12th place. The 37-year-old posted four under par as he prepares for the year's third major.
However, McIlroy will be absent from this week's Canadian Open after opting to return to England. The two-time Masters champion undertook the 3,650-mile trip from Dublin, Ohio to Wentworth as he moves into his new house. The golfer will spend a total of six days at his mansion on the exclusive Surrey estate before embarking on another roughly 3,500-mile journey to Southampton, New York, for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
The choice to remain at his family home means McIlroy will miss the chance to play in the Canadian Open, which boasts a total prize fund of £7.3 million. The tournament victor in Toronto will claim the £1.3 million top prize.
"I had a couple of weeks off and we got ourselves settled into our house in London for the summer. It was nice to be there for the last 10 days," McIlroy said before the Memorial Tournament.
The £9 million property, acquired in 2023, was already among the most impressive residences in the locality before McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll began renovating the estate. The six-bedroom mansion has undergone extensive work as the couple and their daughter, Poppy, prepare to move from Florida.
McIlroy and Stoll had been residing in a lavish £16.5 million mansion in Jupiter, Florida, since purchasing the property from golfing legend Ernie Els in 2017. While the Jupiter neighbourhood was populated with celebrated personalities, none quite rival the standing of the PGA Tour star's new neighbour, the Sultan of Brunei.
The new McIlroy home is situated among numerous other prominent figures, including Elton John and Cliff Richard. However, the Sultan of Brunei reportedly has a staggering net worth of £22.3 billion.
"Two steps forward, one step back," McIlroy said following his final round at the Memorial Tournament. The golfer has grappled with driving inconsistency throughout the season but remains optimistic about the US Open.
"Off the tee still wasn't where I want it to be," McIlroy explained. "Thankfully, the fairways at Shinnecock are a little wider than they are here. But, yeah, still need to work on that. I need to work on how I'm hitting it off the tee."
He continued: "I get a little bit underneath the plane on the way down and then from there I try to drag the handle to match it up, and then I get toe strikes, and then the toe strikes are – like, so if I'm aiming a touch left trying to hit a cut and I get a touch underneath it and then I try to save it by dragging the handle, I hit it off the toe and then it goes left.
"But then if I try to hit with one with a draw or pretty neutral, I'll still get a little bit underneath it, and I'll release it and it will overturn a little bit. But I have to try to get the club back out in front of me. But then when it gets out in front of me, if I do get it there, then it's about having the right release pattern on the way through."
McIlroy's focus now shifts to securing a second major title of the season at Shinnecock Hills, having successfully defended his Masters crown back in April. "Just try to keep getting a little bit better each and every day heading into Shinnecock," he said.
