Rory McIlroy reveals clear 2026 goals after first tournament of new season

Masters champion Rory McIlroy has revealed his primary goals for 2026 are to guard against "complacency, frustration and boredom". 

The 36-year-old began the new season, as ever, in the Middle East at the Dubai Invitational on the DP World Tour. 

A rally in the final round at Dubai Creek Resort saw him surge into contention, but in the end the Northern Irishman had to settle for a share of third place. 

He embarks on the new season following his most successful campaign to date after finally tasting victory at the Masters and helping Europe seal an unlikely and dramatic away victory at the Ryder Cup. 

It is his 19th season on tour after he joined the paid ranks in 2009 as a bushy-haired teen. 

"My goal in 2026 is not getting complacent or bored or frustrated in the weeks when I'm out there [playing in regular events] and I'm actually using those tournaments in the right way so that when I do get to the four or five weeks a year that actually are important that I'm ready to go," he told Telegraph Sport's James Corrigan. 

Last year, McIlroy outlined plans to dramatically reduce his schedule. 

He no longer has the desire to do the hard slog and play upwards of 30 times a year and will instead focus on trying to elevate national opens and tee up where his heart desires. 

In December, McIlroy returned to Australia for the first time since 2014. Six weeks prior, he played in India for the first time in his career. 

"Yeah, I'll be playing tournaments and will want to win but where I am in my career, you have to ensure for those handful of weeks that do matter, you're in the best place to perform," McIlroy added. 

"So I think the big goal is enjoying the work and enjoying the process of trying to achieve the other goals, if that makes sense. It's about being that much more intentional, week in, week out."

McIlroy's main rival this season on the PGA Tour, of course, is the top-ranked Scottie Scheffler. 

Scheffler, now a four-time major champion, has been the undisputed world number one for 135 consecutive weeks. 

It is still some way short of Tiger Woods' ridiculous record of 281 weeks atop the summit of the Official World Golf Ranking. 

McIlroy has not been out of the top-10 for 16 years. 

He told the publication that he believes one of the biggest reasons for his consistency is his short game. 

"Even when the long game's not quite firing, I can now fall back on my short game and get it up and down," he said. 

"I've made it a strength of the game over the last few years. It takes pressure off - you can take on a few more risks with your approach shots, thinking you can still make par. 

"It's another string in my bow that I'll keep working on and ensure it can continue to be a factor for my success going forwards."

McIlroy takes swipe at LIV Golf... again

Rory McIlroy has been one of LIV Golf's harshest critics since its inauguration. 

At the turn of the year, though, he told The Overlap that he believed breakaway tour players should be allowed to return to the PGA Tour as they have "paid their consequences". 

He was referencing the fact they have had their reputations damaged and the PIF-backed league has been locked out of the OWGR system since 2022. 

Weeks later, Brooks Koepka re-joined the PGA Tour under a new scheme called the "returning members programme". 

Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm would also be welcomed back into the fold and have been given a deadline until 2 February to make up their minds. 

All three players have outlined their desire to reject the offer.

The Koepka news has sent shockwaves through the sport and divided opinion among some PGA Tour members. 

Wyndham Clark, for example, said he was frustrated that Koepka was allowed to have his cake and eat it. 

McIlroy also told Telegraph Sport that he still doubts the future of LIV Golf as the league will have to spend billions more "just to stay where they are". 

The aforementioned DeChambeau is understood to be demanding $500m to sign a new contract.

"It's not as if they made any huge signings this year, is it?” McIlroy told the paper.  

"They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle and I don’t think they will. I mean, they could re-sign Bryson [DeChambeau] for hundreds of millions of dollars, but even if they do, it doesn’t change their product, does it? 

"They'll just be paying for the exact same thing. And they've lost Brooks, so they'll be paying out all this money and ..."

He added: "A lot of these guys’ contracts are up. They’re going to ask for the same number or an even bigger number. 

"LIV have spent $5 billion or $6 billion, and they're going to have to spend another five or six just to maintain where they are.

“Look, I’m way more comfortable being on the PGA Tour side than on their side, but who knows what will happen."

McIlroy said he was delighted to have Koepka back where he belongs. 

"He is one of the best players in the world and anything that makes the traditional tours stronger is a good thing in my book," he added.