Rory McIlroy: I’ve never felt more complete as a player | ‘I could double career wins’ | Golf News

Rory McIlroy resumes his battle with Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler for the world No 1 spot; The 33-year-old is currently top of the rankings after winning two of the last three events. Watch the WM Phoenix Open live on Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm on Thursday

Rory McIlroy won in Dubai at the end of January

Rory McIlroy thinks he has never been a more “complete” player and is confident he can double his tally of titles.

The 33-year-old has won two of his last three events and has not finished outside the top four in his last seven as he resumes his battle with Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler for the world No 1 spot at the Phoenix Open, live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday.

McIlroy was victorious at the Dubai Desert Classic at the end of last month, his 32nd career title, but the Northern Irishman has no intention of resting on his laurels.

“I’m playing well, I feel like consistency-wise I’ve been as good as I ever have been in my career,” he said.

“I said at the end of last year I feel as complete a player as I ever have. If you look at my statistical categories, there’s no real glaring weaknesses there, and I worked really hard on that to try to become a more well-rounded player.

“I think the results speak for themselves as well over, not just the past six months, but really the past 18 months post-Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. I feel like I’ve been on a really good run of form since then.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

See the moment tens of thousands of fans tried to secure a spot in the grandstand at TPC Scottsdale’s par-three 16th.

‘I don’t like being No 2’

Despite his fine form in the last 18 months, McIlroy has not tasted success in recent majors, with his last victory coming in 2014 at the US PGA.

His biggest goal remains winning The Masters to complete a career grand slam, and he finished runner-up to Scheffler at Augusta last year.

“I don’t think I should be up here if I thought my best days weren’t ahead of me. Like I can’t be sitting up here and talking to you guys and trying to win golf tournaments if I think that the glory days are gone,” he added.

“You have to be an eternal optimist in this game, and I 100 per cent believe that I can still… I’ve won 30-whatever times around the world as a professional. There’s no reason that I can’t double that number going forward. Like I truly believe that.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

McIlroy banishes hole 18 water demons to seal Dubai win

Along with Rahm, Scheffler has the chance to take the world No 1 spot from McIlroy, and the American feels Rahm and McIlroy are playing better golf at the moment.

“I would say it’s more of a reflection, but I like being No 1 in the world. I don’t like being No 2,” he said.

“It’s just kind of one of those funny things. Right now I’m ranked No 2, but I would say I’m not playing the second-best golf in the world; I think Rory and Jon are pretty much neck-and-neck for playing the best golf in the world right now, so the rankings are funny.

“It’s just an algorithm. You don’t get any extra trophies or anything like that for having it for a short period of time, but it’s more of a reflection of other things, I’d say, but I don’t like being No 2. I’d rather be No 1.”

Scheffler: Full Swing is great for golf

Both Scheffler and McIlroy feature in the Netflix docuseries Full Swing, out later this month, which provides a deep dive into the lives of the players on the Tour.

Scheffler feels the docuseries is going to be “good for the game” and hopes it will attract a new audience to golf.

“I wouldn’t say I was a huge part of it. I didn’t give them as much access into my personal life as a lot of guys did, but it was a good experience, and I think that was what — when I originally signed up for it, I don’t really think they wanted very much from me, and all of a sudden I started winning tournaments and stuff, and they were like, we need a lot more stuff now,” he said.

“It was kind of a tough balance, but it was a lot of fun. I think it’s going to be great for the game. I think it’s going to get a whole new audience watching golf, and it should be great for our Tour and good for the game of golf, as well.”

McIlroy wasn’t originally supposed to be in the series but headlines a star-studded line-up, and he said having his voice in it “could add a layer of context that wasn’t there already”.

“I sort of took the attitude of see how the first season works out, see if I like it, like the idea, feel comfortable letting cameras get into my life a little bit more. But I had a good chat with Chad in the summertime,” he said.

“Obviously, with everything that’s going on in the world of golf, he just said having my voice in there in some way could just add a layer of context that wasn’t there already.

“I made sure that the parameters were very much like, look, you’re not coming to my house, you’re not coming in my car, you’re not coming anywhere near my family, but you want to do some stuff with me at golf tournaments, totally fine.”

Watch the WM Phoenix Open live on Sky Sports Golf from 7.30pm on Thursday

Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland