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Melbourne honored the presence of the Northern Irish PGA star, Rory McIlroy, with the loudest cheers. From missing offices and schools to support him, the fans did not hesitate to show that he is clearly the favorite. However, McIlroy’s journey in the tournament didn’t start strongly. This might come as a surprise to fans, given his successful run so far this season. But Rory seemed to have identified the problem.

He admitted that Round 1 of the Australian Open indeed began as a ‘rollercoaster’ ride. But standing at two under par and seven shots behind the leading spot after Round 2, Rory revealed a major ground where he has seemingly messed up. He candidly stated, “I needed to play those last four holes the way I did. That was not one of my finer moments on 14. I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh air (swing). I was trying to get in really low, sort of like Seve [Ballesteros], flick it back into play, and I caught a branch on the way down and completely missed the ball.” 

For years, Seve Ballesteros’ tally of six season titles stood as a towering landmark. However, this year, McIlroy, who has been idolizing Ballesteros, moved past him on the European Tour’s season-long race. However, it appears that taking inspiration from the best might not always result in the best outcome.

McIlroy admitted to the mistake he committed during the 14th hole. He missed the ball and made a bogey on a par five. However, while looking for a strong recovery, he attempted a tricky shot. However, that escape flicked-back swing shot backfired. The 36-year-old golfer ended up whiffing the ball that he had seemingly not done in years. 

Copying Ballesteros at Royal Melbourne turned out to be of major trouble for the 5-time Major champion. Reflecting further on it, he added, “The drive on 15 was a big shot because it could have been a turning point one way or another. If I don’t hit that tee shot well, I’m looking at another bogey. I gave myself an easy enough birdie, and I played the last few holes pretty well.” 

While Rory is now indeed looking forward to letting the Australian fans witness some of his best shots, he also recently expressed his wish to build a legacy. He aims to prioritise that over just winning.

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How Rory McIlroy is more focused on creating a legacy than just bagging wins

Rory McIlroy has won it all. His 2025 season itself is marked by three PGA Tour wins, the Race to Dubai title for the seventh time, and, to top it all off, the coveted Masters title. With the former world No.1 golfer still dominating the sport, his primary focus has drastically shifted as of now. Initially, the Northern Ireland star was concerned only about bagging as many wins as possible. But now, his priorities have shifted drastically. The 36-year-old now wants to win all the prestigious tournaments at the most sacred venues. 

For example, he wants to win more majors, The Open at St. Andrews, the Australian Open at the Royal Melbourne, and a US Open in Pebble Beach. Speaking about building himself a legacy, McIlroy stated that he has been doing the hard work for the last 15 years. Thus, at the moment, consolidating on his legacy is of utmost importance for him. 

“I want to win more majors. I want to be part of more Ryder Cup teams. I’d say my records on either tour, whether it be the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour, are probably meaning a little less to me as time goes on, and it’s really just focusing on the majors and being part of that Ryder Cup team. I’m trying to build on the legacy that I’ve been building for the last 15 years,” said McIlroy. 

Thus, it is evident that as one of the golfing icons, plain wins are not enough to satisfy the Northern Irish star. Instead, as he wants to climb up to the elite bracket, fans have to wait and watch if he can pull that off in the near future.