Rory McIlroy: This is the happiest I have been in a long time

Masters champion Rory McIlroy says he is the happiest he has been in a long time since he withdrew himself from golf's politics. 

McIlroy, 36, initially led the charge against the breakaway LIV Golf League when it launched in June 2022 and caused a split in the elite men's game. 

He was extremely critical of the ageing European Ryder Cup stars that decamped to the PIF-backed league and also played a key role in the PGA Tour's response to the threat.

McIlroy was a member of the PGA Tour's policy board with the likes of Tiger Woods and also was among a group of players to call for the creation of elevated (now signature) events. 

Despite being blindsided by the PGA Tour's 'framework agreement' with LIV's financiers in June 2023, McIlroy argued that a deal needed to be made. 

His stance softened and he admitted that he was too judgemental of his former Ryder Cup teammates. 

But it is generally understood that McIlroy grew frustrated with the lack of progress in the boardrooms and appeared to have a completely different perspective than US golfers Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay and even Woods. 

He eventually resigned from his position on the board, explaining that he felt like he was banging his head against a brick wall. 

McIlroy, of course, still weighs in on the latest developments in the men's game but is no longer involved the Zoom calls and meetings that last several hours. 

And he believes he has seen the benefit on the course. 

Ahead of the DP World Tour Championship, one reporter asked: "Is this the happiest Rory McIlroy we've seen in a long time?"

"Yeah, I think it is," McIlroy replied. "I don't think my desire's gone. It's certainly not gone. 

"But I think it's just going one of those things where I'm not going to have to pick and choose where to sort of place my desire and what I want my goals to be.

"Yeah, I'm certainly not less driven but maybe just more driven in focused areas. Yeah, I don't feel like chasing as much anymore. I'm not out chasing the grand slam. I'm not chasing these things. 

"I'm very content with what I've done in the game. I'm still driven to do more but you know, it's sort of a pinpoint to drive in certain directions.

"I have a clear head and I'm out of all the political stuff in golf, basically, and I can just focus on playing and playing where I want to and making myself competitively happy by playing in the tournaments that I want to play.

"And then having more time to make myself personally happy with doing the things I want to do away from golf, travelling with my family and showing my daughter different parts of the world and doing things like that I think is a very nice place to be in life."

He added: "When I was on the board, I read the board materials. I was clued in. I talked to people. I got different opinions. 

"But again, at that point, that was something that I really wanted to do but at the same time I felt like it was taking away from some of the other things I want to do in my life.

"You know, you can't keep all the plates spinning at the same time and something had to give, and that was the thing that ultimately I had to stop doing to pursue some of these other things.

"If you look at my golf since then, it been a pretty good run. It's been a nice [and I have] maybe a bit of a clearer head and a little bit more time to spend on practise and putting that into my game."

Rory McIlroy reacts to new award named after him

On Tuesday morning, the DP World Tour announced that a new award will be named after Rory McIlroy. 

It will be presented annually to the best-performing DP World Tour member across the four men's major championships. 

The award will be introduced for the 2026 season. 

McIlroy said he was "honoured" and "humbled" by the announcement. 

He was approached about the creation of the award after winning The Masters and initially thought it was "too soon". 

"And the more I thought about it, I'm not going to be around forever playing," he said. 

"So it will still be amazing to have any name, after my playing days, my name associated with this tour, and hopefully have an award named after me, that means something to future generations that they want to strive towards to achieve"

But he has clarified that he won't be collecting it himself.

"It was a decision made by all of us," he said. "We thought it was best if I would be ineligible for it."