McIlroy motivated to keep pace with Scheffler, Schauffele

Two victories, seven Top-10 finishes, nearly $11 million in earnings on the PGA Tour – and the inside track to winning the Race to Dubai – would overwhelmingly please most people.

Rory McIlroy isn't one of them.

Speaking on Wednesday before the start of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where he can capture a third straight Race to Dubai title this weekend, McIlroy said he left unfinished business on the course in 2024.

And that starts with the US Open at Pinehurst in June, where two missed short putts on the final three holes left him as the runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy, a 35-year-old from Northern Ireland, was seeking his first win in a major since 2014. In looking back at his season, he saw good and bad – consistency and missed opportunities.

"Yeah, incredibly consistent again. I think I've been really proud of that over the last few years," he said at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. "But then at the same time, you know, thinking about the ones that got away.

"I could be sitting up here with a fifth major title and I am not. So that stings and that's something that I have to come to terms with but at the same time I've got plenty more opportunities in the future."

He continued: "You know, did I achieve every goal I set for myself this year? Probably not. But I still consider it a successful season."

McIlroy sits third in the world rankings, and there's no doubt part of his drive for 2025 will be to reach the heights set by No 1 Scottie Scheffler and No 2 Xander Schauffele this season.

"You've got two guys at the top of the world rankings down there winning two majors," he said. "You know, Scottie winning a Masters and a Players and the Olympics. They certainly separated themselves from the pack this year. I'm obviously very aware of that, and it only makes me more motivated to try to emulate what they did this year."

McIlroy will be more selective about the events he plays in the United States next year. He has said he intends to cut down on his schedule and could skip some of the PGA Tour's signature events, but he assured reporters in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday that he wants to continue playing on the DP World Tour.

"I think I'm not going to miss these tournaments in the Middle East. I'm not going to miss Wentworth. I'm not going to miss the Irish Open. I'm not going to miss The Scottish Open," he said.

"But there was a few events this year in America that I played that I don't typically play, and I think that's where I'm going to have to trim a little bit. ... I have to remember, I'm 35 now. I'm not 23."

He has spent half his life as a pro golfer.

"At 35, and I've been on tour for 17 or 18 years, look, I'm not slowing down at all," he said.

"But I just have to take care of myself and take care of my body a little bit more, and 27 events this year is maybe a touch too many. If I can trim it back down to 22 or 23, I think that would be good for me in the long run."