Q&A: Rory McIlroy (Part 1) | Normal Sport No. 118

Hey,

A little over a year ago, I started thinking about what it would be like to run Normal Sport full time. I actually dreamily wrote down what a sequence of events for launching the business would look like. Here’s some of what I wrote …

Not all of that came to fruition, and I didn’t really have expectations on any of it. Just ideas and thoughts that I didn’t know whether I would ever have the opportunity to implement.

One that did, though, is the last one. Rory agreed to do a Q&A, which I’m extremely grateful for and was so much fun. We talked about risk and vulnerability and when golf feels spiritual and the best shot of his career. We talked about a lot of other stuff, too, which I’ll post in Part 2 this weekend because this one started to get a little lengthy.

It’s no big secret that I enjoy writing about Rory as much I enjoy writing about anything. I think he is the most relatable superstar athlete of the 21st century. The gifts-to-humanity ratio is off the charts.

That is not to say he is the most gifted athlete of this century nor the one who seems the most human. Only that the intertwining of those two at the extreme is such a rarity. And for me — and hopefully many of you — such a treat.

Last note before I get out of the way: This week has been extraordinary. Beyond anything I could have imagined when I imagined launching this business (which, as you can see above, I imagined often). Thank you for that. For reading, responding, providing feedback, telling your friends and generally encouraging me. In some ways, it has been the hardest week of my year but in other ways, also the most fun.

Exactly how I wanted it.

Hope you enjoy the interview!

Ed. note: We were just catching up, and our convo kind of led into my first question so I’m jumping in mid-stream because I think it makes more sense and gives context.

Rory: Do you subscribe to the James Clear newsletter?

KP: Yeah.

Rory: So I love his stuff … about risk taking. I think what you're doing is really cool. You could play it safe and be in the same job forever and do the same thing, and it's fine. But I think this is a really cool opportunity for you.

KP: I appreciate that. I told my wife, I'm very excited but also very anxious and I think a healthy amount of fearful of, like, I've got four kids, and I need this to work and all that stuff. Actually, let's start there, because I'm intrigued with you professionally, whether it's golf, or investing, or whatever, where have there been places where you've taken risks, and they've either paid off or not paid off? And how has that gone for your career?

Rory: I would say, I think in every walk of life, I've probably become more risk averse as I've gotten a little older. And I don't necessarily think that that's a good thing.

I remember the first time I played with Tiger, and I couldn't believe how conservatively he played. And I was like, ‘God, if I had his record and his resume and everything he's done, I would go for everything because he has got nothing to lose.’

That's so easy to say from the outside looking in. But then you find yourself, I'm not saying I find myself in a similar position, but you have some success and you've maybe had some failures along the way. I think you just ... human nature is to protect yourself from those things and to maybe not take as many risks.

And so I would say I'm not as much of a risk taker in my profession, like in golf, as I used to be. I think in some way, that's helped me because I've become a lot more consistent player. But maybe in other ways, it's held me back over the last couple of years because … Like the way my final days have gone, I'll go out and shoot 70 or 69 and play a pretty solid round of golf, but it's not enough to win.

There's a great quote from Jack Nicklaus, where it says... I have it in my photos here. I'm going to go into the archive here and get it. It's in the bathroom of the range house at the Bear Club, of all places. I was standing at the urinal one day and I took a photo of it. Because I just thought it was really good.

Basically, you have to play boldly to win, right? No matter what walk of life that is.

I think in the investment world, I do do that because I have this PGA Tour pension that I know in whatever it is, 30 years time when I retire … I have a nest egg there that is so financially secure that I can take risks with other things, monetary-wise, because I know I have this thing.

I think I should approach golf the same way because I have this resume and I have this record, and I've basically done most of the things I wanted to do in the game. So I thought about this quite a lot recently. Why wouldn't I approach the game the same way as I approach the investment world? I'm secure in my reputation or my legacy as a golfer. All I can really do is add to it. So that's the way I think of the investments as well.

KP: Why do you think it's harder to do when it comes to golf?

Rory: I think because if I lose money, it's not going to hurt me as emotionally as if I lose a golf tournament. I think that's why.

KP: I think what's been so interesting about your career and your life is that I would argue that as you've gotten older, you've taken more risks emotionally and putting yourself out there with what you talk about, what you care about, and all those things.

Do you feel like you've gotten riskier in that sense?

Rory: I wouldn’t perceive that as risks because I'm speaking about what I believe in. So I think it's a little different. I don't think that that's necessarily risky. It's authentic. So I don't see that as a risk. I guess you could, but I don't. Whenever I say something or I try to stand behind something, I don't see it as a risk.

There's certain issues or topics, especially around this time of the year that I certainly wouldn't weigh in on because it's … for me, not right, not the smart thing to do. But yeah, when it comes to trying to preserve the history of the game that I love or trying to keep it on the right course or what I see is the right course, then I don't necessarily perceive that as a risk.

If I did, then I'd be more inclined to not do it, but ... I never have. When I feel like I can speak with some authority on a subject, so golf in particular, I don't see that as risky.

KP: I think I just mean more so like, I don't know that 22-year-old Rory is willing to cry in front of a camera the way that 33-34-year-old Rory is at Portrush, at Whistling Straits. That, to me, is you're disclosing more of yourself in a risky way.

Rory: Yeah, but I would say people appreciate seeing that authenticity.

KP: Totally.

Rory: And it's obviously not the reason that I do it, but I don't see that as a risk. Some people might see it as some sort of weakness, but I don't.

KP: Do you ever worry about in press conferences or interviews, I think you probably know that people enjoy that authenticity. Do you ever worry about giving the answers that you know people will like versus speaking from your heart? Is that ever a struggle for you?

Rory: Yeah, sometimes. I think that's maybe part of the reason why I’ve maybe started to say no a little more to things.

Because when you’re asked so many questions, especially so many questions around the same subject that has been going on in golf for the last three years, I feel pressure to give a thoughtful answer, but in a different way all the time.

You keep saying the same thing over and over and over. Starts to sound like a broken record. So I sometimes feel pressure to find an answer that is still thoughtful but is a little different.

I was watching — this is how much of a golf sicko I am — I was watching Mike Weir and Jim Furyk's press conference this morning, from last night. Adam Schupak asked Jim a question to do with the 2018 Ryder Cup. It was about, you were 3-1 up after the first session in France, obviously 5-0 up here, but … are you a better captain? What have you learned from then?

And Jim really was trying to rack his brain, and he said, Adam, I'm really trying to come up with a good answer for you here.

Sometimes you feel that responsibility to try to give a good answer. And sometimes you can come up with that one, but there's other times where you can’t. I felt like there was a point over the last couple of years where people were looking forward more to my press conferences than they were to my golf. I was like, that's not where I want to be.

KP: Yeah, totally. You've got St. Andrews coming up, and you and I have talked about St. Andrews a lot and just different places that you've gone. When does golf feel the most spiritual to you?

Because I've thought a lot about ... I think one time you told me about just being at Augusta by yourself or with your dad or whatever. There's these certain moments, and I'm curious about when you feel almost like the — it’s probably an overused term — but just the spirituality of golf the most.

Rory: I would say for me, it's going back to the memories I had as a kid growing up. So whether it was playing with my dad, I think playing at some of the best venues in the game. So St. Andrews, Augusta … I would say a Royal Melbourne, or as I've gotten to appreciate these older golf courses over the years. I think that's when it feels most spiritual or as connected to the game as I can be.

Then I would say from a competitive standpoint, the last two weeks to me, the Irish Open at Royal County Down, that from a competitive standpoint, is the most spiritual … you have this really authentic crowd that are there just to watch golf and cheer you on.

It doesn't matter the weather or the field. It's a really cool feeling. And again, a lot of stuff that takes me back to my amateur days when I would play these amateur events in Ireland, and I'd have quite a few people watching me. But it was a very real and authentic experience.

And I must say, I've really enjoyed going back and playing at home and playing in Europe over these last couple of years because I just feel like there's some sort of different energy that you get when you go back there. It's a little less corporate. It's a little more … the people are there purely to watch the golf and be outside in nature.

It just feels a little different, which is nice.

KP: Are expectations different at home than ... I mean, home being Northern Ireland and that area of the world. Do you find that expectations are different, better, worse, harder? How do you view that?

Rory: Yeah, I think expectations are different. I think it's harder because I feel more of a connection to the people who are expecting things of me. I really do feel that.

Where I feel in America, for the most part, maybe remove Augusta from that because of the hype difference that is, and I definitely feel this expectation from the membership at Augusta because I've gotten to know so many of them. Every green jacket coming up to you and saying, Really think this is your year and good luck and love you to win, blah, blah, blah, all that stuff. So if you remove Augusta from it, I just think there's more of a connection to the people at home.

I feel those expectations a little bit more.

KP: When I say best shot of your career, what's the first shot you think of?

Rory: The coolest shot is that pitch shot at the Ryder Cup last year.

KP: The Sepp Straka face?

Rory: Yeah. So that's the coolest shot I think I've probably ever played. I'd say the best shot … it's hard not to associate your biggest wins with your best shots. I'd say the best swing I've ever made is I had a five iron into the last at Hoylake in 2014 on Saturday.

It's probably the best swing I've ever made. I eagle the last and it gives me a six-shot lead going into the final day. So that was big.

KP: I think that … was that eagle, bogey, eagle to end it?

Rory: Yeah, you're right. And then I'd say the best shot could be... I hit this slinging hook wedge around the tree in a playoff in Hong Kong in 2008. That could be the best shot that I've hit.

KP: I thought you were going to say, and the one that I think of the most is, I think it was a 5 wood at PGA National, at the Honda.

Rory: Yeah. Again, though, I’d lost the lead, and then I hit that and I had a putt to win. I had the eagle putt to win and didn't. I was in a playoff, and then I lost the playoff. It was a great golf shot, but it didn't end up in the result that I wanted. So it's hard to put that as the best shot because it didn't result in … yeah.

KP: Did you know that that chip you hit at the Ryder Cup last year … as soon as it came off the club, did you know it was going to do what you wanted?

Rory: Yeah. You can feel with those ones. Like the bounce hit right, just before the ball, the club slid in. You can feel the ball feels like it stays on the clubface that split second longer. You know when you catch one really, really good. And it was one of those, in practice, maybe you pull it off one time out of 10. But again, I was a terrible teammate, and I didn't realize … I thought Matt Fitzpatrick was on the fringe at the front of the green. I didn't realize he was in the rough. So I was like, ‘Oh, I may as well just do it since Fitz has got the par anyway.