Rory McIlroy reflects on tragic death of Grayson Murray: ‘It puts everything in perspective’

Ten days after finishing tied for 12th at the PGA Championship in Kentucky, during a week when he filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll, McIlroy said he’d hit just 150 balls but got home in time to spend the weekend “with my family and with (daughter) Poppy.”

“I certainly switched off,” McIlroy said at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ontario, where he closed with a 61 to win in 2019 before going on to retain the title at St George’s in 2022 and tie for ninth at Oakdale last year.

“I went to one of my best friend’s weddings in Italy for four days, which was a lot of fun, good to see a lot of people from home I haven’t seen in a long time. Yeah, it was actually a really good trip, I needed it.

“Then I had a lovely, I had a great weekend at home. Spent time with my family and with Poppy and, yeah, it was awesome. So I needed that reset.”

McIlroy has a busy schedule coming up as he follows this week’s Canadian Open with starts in the Memorial, the US Open and the Travelers Championship.

“I’m playing four weeks in a row here, so I’m ready to go, but it’s been a busy stretch and I’m sort of easing my way back into it,” he said.

“I probably hit a grand total of probably 150 balls last week. So, not that I feel rusty, I feel like I’ve played enough golf to keep myself ticking over, but last week was a good week to just reset and sort of start again.”

The Holywood star has had his share of personal problems recently and called for people to be “ kinder to each other” given Grayson Murray’s tragic passing last week.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s incredibly sad, first and foremost, and I think we’re all thinking of Grayson’s family and hoping that they’re doing okay and getting through this incredibly tough period,” McIlroy said of Murray, who took his own life after withdrawing with two holes to play during the second round of last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas.

“You know, it’s cliche, but it puts everything in perspective. At the end of the day, golf is golf and we play it for a living, but it pales in comparison to the things that actually matter in life.

“I’ve had to realise that at times and I’m still sort of working my way through that in terms of not making golf the be-all end-all for me.

“I think it slaps you in the face when something like that happens last week. As I said, it’s incredibly sad and everyone has to remember out here that we go out and we do things that a lot of people can’t.

“But at the end of the day, we’re still human beings, and we’re vulnerable and we’re fragile, and I think if there’s a lesson for anyone out there, it’s just to be kinder to each other.”

The four-time Major winner has been at the centre of the PGA TOUR’s battle with LIV Golf for the past year and while he wishes he hadn’t become so deeply involved before he resigned from the Player Advisory Council late last year, he denied it was a distraction inside the ropes.

“I don’t think so,” added the world number three, who is joined in the field by Shane Lowry and Seamus Power.

“I think, in hindsight, I wish I hadn’t have gotten involved or not hadn’t have gotten involved, hadn’t have gotten as deeply involved in it, and I’ve articulated that.

“I’ve said that I certainly hold no grudge; I hold no resentment over the guys that chose to go and play on LIV. Everyone’s got their own decisions to make and everyone is, has the right to make those decisions.

“My whole thing is I’m just disappointed to what it’s done to, not to the game of golf, the game of golf will be fine. But men’s professional golf and this sort of divide we have at the minute.

“Hopefully, we’re on a path to sorting that out and getting that to come back together, but in hindsight – hindsight’s always 20/20 – but in hindsight, I wish I hadn’t gotten as deeply involved as I have.”