McIlroy returns to action at TPC Toronto this week, after skipping the Charles Schwab Challenge and Memorial Tournament, as he ramps up his preparations for next week’s US Open.
Having realised his lifelong ambition by clinching the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April, he finished joint seventh at the Truist Championship before a disappointing share of 47th at the US PGA at Quail Hollow, where he has won four times.
With an Open Championship on home soil at Royal Portrush in July and an away Ryder Cup in September, he hopes to recapture his best form heading into the second half of the season.
“I don’t know if I’m chasing anything,” said the world number two
“I would certainly say the last few weeks, I’ve had a couple of weeks off, and going and grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is a little tougher than it used to be.
“You have this event in your life that you’ve worked towards and it happens, sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again.
“The past two weeks have been good for me as a reset, to figure out where I’m at in my own head, what I want to do, where I want to play and reset some goals. I’ve had a pretty good first half of the season and I want to have a good second half too.”
Having won the Canadian Open in 2019 and 2022, McIlroy begins his bid for a third title at 12:40 BST on Thursday.