McIlroy out to stay focused

GOLF:THE NUMBERS keep adding up for Rory McIlroy, the boxes continue to be ticked. World number one: check! FedEx Cup number one: check! Race to Dubai number one: check! USPGA Tour money list number one: check!

The 23-year-old Ulsterman’s win in the Deutsche Bank championship on Monday – his second win in his last three outings, coming a month after his USPGA success – moved him over the $6.4 million mark on the US Tour for this season and left him intent on doing more damage.

It would seem, the ATM machine will continue to chuck out greenbacks!

McIlroy, who renewed his PGA Tour membership this season, is in no doubt his performances in 2012 have eclipsed anything he achieved in 2011 when he made his Major breakthrough when winning the US Open.

“You know, to get to world number one, (to) back up a Major winning season in 2011 with another Major this year, (to get) three wins on the PGA Tour . . . I feel this year has been a big year for me, to back up what I did last year,” he admitted.

With the third leg of the four-tournament FedEx Cup series starting at Crooked Stick in Indiana tomorrow – before the finale at the Tour Championship in Atlanta in just over a fortnight’s time, the week before the Ryder Cup – McIlroy has become the dominant player on the main tours on either side of the Atlantic.

“I’ve learned how to handle winning big events and carrying myself forward and not dwelling on what’s happened, just moving forward, just trying to win another golf tournament, trying to put myself in position (to win),” said McIlroy of the difference between his mindset of a year ago and now.

“As soon as I won the PGA, I refocused my mind and focused on the FedEx Cup play-offs. Even after the win (in the Deutsche Bank), I’m just refocusing (on the BMW). Once the play-offs are won, once the Tour Championship finishes, then focus on the Ryder Cup and try and give it my best shot there as well.”

McIlroy – who has joined Tiger Woods as a three-time winner on the US Tour this season – is not happy with his lot yet.

“It’s nice to get the third win this year and tie Tiger for the guy with the most wins . . . three is a great number.

“But I’d like to make it four or five after the FedEx Cup. I’m very pleased with how I’ve played the last few weeks, very pleased at how hard I worked on my game leading up to these few weeks because I felt it was nearly there and I just needed to stay patient.

“I turned a corner at Akron (in the Bridgestone Invitational) and then it really clicked at Kiawah (in the PGA). I’ve just kept it going from there.”

Fresh from Monday’s victory McIlroy has no time to savour his latest success as he sets his sights on further glory.

With two more FedEx Cup play-off events to come this month as well as the Ryder Cup, McIlroy is keeping any celebrations on hold.

“There is a time and a place to celebrate and enjoy what you have done and going into the play-offs isn’t it. You have to focus on the week ahead, get to Crooked Stick and start to prepare for that tournament.

McIlroy said of his recent victory: “Once I got into the lead I felt very comfortable and just tried to keep applying the pressure, hit fairways, hit greens.

“It worked for the most part. I had a few wobbles coming in but I did enough in the earlier part of the round to have enough of a cushion to get the job done.”