“Sort of like a heavyweight boxer losing a world title” – Rory McIlroy says he wants to become World No. 1 again

Rory McIlroy came into the 2022 CJ Cup as a favorite. Having been in great form since winning his third FedExCup this year, the Irish golfer had the best odds. Despite putting in some strong performances on Days 1 and 2 of the ongoing event, McIlroy has not managed to lead the event.

McIlroy finished in the top four in the Italian Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The golfer himself seemed excited arriving at the Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina for the CJ Cup as a potential win would take him to the top of the Official World Golf Rankings.

While McIlroy has to wait six months to resume his chase for a long-awaited fifth major title, he has his eyes set on winning the World No.1 title.

Rory McIlroy on becoming World No. 1 again

Rory McIlroy is currently World No. 2 and has his target set on becoming No.1. The golfer first became number 1 in 2012. Since then, he went on to take the place eight times. Recently, the golfer recalled the experience of becoming the world’s top-ranked player during his early days and said that it was his most significant accomplishment.

Rory McIlroy spoke to golfmonthly.com when he recalled the experience and said:

"I got to No. 1 in the world after I won the Honda Classic in 2012… It had been a goal of mine for maybe six months up until that point but I remember waking up the next morning and being like, is this it?"

Furthermore, McIlroy stated that he has his eyes set on regaining the title. Speaking at the 2022 CJ Cup, the Northern Irishman said that the rankings motivate him to play better. The defending CJ Cup champion said he never gave up on the run.

“You work towards a goal for so long and then you wake up the next day and you don't feel any different after having achieved it, so I think then it's a matter of having to reframe your goals and reframe what success looks like.”

He added:

“I think that's one of the great things about this game, no matter how much you've achieved or how much success you've had, you always want to do something else, there's always something else to do. I guess the cool thing about it is you get to No 1 and it feels great in the moment, and the bad thing is you maybe have to work harder to stay there.”

Rory McIlroy also addressed the possibility of him taking back the spot this weekend.

“I think if I get back to No 1 this week it's my ninth time. It sort of illustrates you can have your runs and you can stay there, but I think the cool part is the journey and the journey getting back there… It's sort of like a heavyweight boxer losing a world title and it's a journey to get that title back. I feel like that's the cool part of it and that's the journey that I've sort of been through over the past 12 months."

Can Rory McIlroy become World No. 1 this weekend?

It is pertinent to note that the chances of Rory McIlroy taking back the top spot this weekend are not looking great. According to Official World Golf Rankings expert @Nosferatu on Twitter, McIlroy regained the World No.1 title by winning the ongoing CJ Cup. He could also retake the top spot by finishing second, which would take some “help” from current No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy will take the top spot in OWGR if he finishes first or second in the CJ Cup and Scheffler finishes worse than T34. At the end of Day 2 of the event, the Irishman was fifth on the leaderboard, and Scheffler was T31.