Rory McIlroy: I'm now planning my schedule around life instead of the four majors

Rory McIlroy says he's now building his golf schedule around life instead of the four major championships. 

The Northern Irishman is back in action this week among a stacked field at The Renaissance Club for the 2025 Scottish Open. 

It represents his final opportunity to shake off any rust ahead of the final men's major of the year in Northern Ireland. 

McIlroy has not played a PGA Tour event since last month's Travelers Championship in Connecticut. 

The Ulsterman has spent his time away from the course moving his family into a new home on the uber-exclusive Wentworth estate in Berkshire. 

He also told reporters on Wednesday that he needed to 'hide away' for a couple of weeks as 'the world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it'. 

"And sometimes you need to completely get away from that," McIlroy said. 

McIlroy previously explained after finally winning The Masters in April he planned to have more fun. 

Already, he has whisked wife Erica and daughter Poppy away for a skiing holiday in Montana. 

In May, he was also spotted watching his beloved Manchester United take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League Final in Bilbao. 

"One of my New Year's resolutions was to have more fun, and I've really tried to do that," he said. 

He added: "I think there's opportunities throughout the year that you can do these sorts of things. 

"I think now at this stage of life that I'm at, I'm actually trying to build my schedule around those weeks instead of the other way around, trying to sort of fit them in here or can I take four days off."

Future career goals

McIlroy spoke of his struggles to find motivation after slipped on the green jacket. 

Alarm bells were ringing when he admitted he did not care whether he made the cut at the PGA Championship in May following a slow start. 

His performance at the US Open was also nothing to shout about and the Ulsterman left Oakmont looking for a new mountain to climb. 

Winning The Open in front of his home fans is, unsurprisingly, at the top of the agenda. 

He missed the cut the last time the major was held at the Dunluce Links in 2019. 

What else?

"I would love to win an Open at St Andrews," McIlroy said. "I would love to win a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. I'd love to win a PGA at PGA Frisco."

McIlroy was taking a cheeky dig at the venue that is due to host the 2027 PGA Championship. 

The Fields Ranch East Course was heavily criticised by the LPGA Tour stars at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship earlier in the year. 

"Frisco might get there one day, who knows," McIlroy said. 

"But yeah, and I think, as well, having Portrush from home and the experience I had there last time, you know, I want to, the Friday was amazing, the Thursday, not too much.

"It's a little like Djokovic won the Olympics last year, he knew that was doing to be his final chance, and you saw the emotion and you saw how much it meant to him. 

"You think about it, and you can't pretend that it's not there. But when you are on the golf course, you just have to go out there and play as if you're not playing at home and just play as if it's another golf tournament.

"But yeah, it obviously is a little more... it has a little more, like, emphasis. 

"There's something extra there, just like there is at an open at St Andrews or a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, for example."