& # 039; It is not for me to play conservatively & # 039; – McIlroy & # 039; s & # 039; carefree & # 039; plan for success

Rory McIlroy hopes to improve the count of four tournament wins that he achieved in 2019

Rory McIlroy plans to play "worry-free" golf in 2020 as he looks for more tournament wins and a return to number one place in the world.

His first event of the season is the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

The Northern Irishman said: "It does not serve me as a golfer to play conservatively, carefully. I have my own style to play and most of the time it does not work.

" It's a mindset I'm going to try to replicate every time I make a tee-up. "

McIlroy added that he drew on last summer's experience at The Open at Royal Portrush, when he was a disastrous opening day 79 followed with a second round 65 to miss the cut with one shot.

The number two in the grassroots he received from his home fans as crucial to his lead in the rankings in the second round.

"I said to myself after Portrush: & # 39; Why should I be careful? Why shouldn't I go outside with the most carefree attitude? & # 39; That is something that I have learned, "said McIlroy.

" The other great thing I have learned is how important home is to me, with that support. Whenever I think of that experience at Portrush, I think of the people at home and what I mean for them.

"It was a great reminder of that week and if I ever struggle or feel about things, I can always look back on the support I received there.

" I learned many things at Portrush I put into my game, my preparation, my thinking processes for other tournaments, and I've had a pretty good run since then. "

The best player are & # 39; takes care of themselves & # 39;

McIlroy can be the number one in the golf rankings of Brooks Koepka with a win this week at Torrey Pines, but the four-fold great champion says he will concentrate on his game and let the ranking take care of himself.

"It's all about the process, it's all about the game, it's all about trying to make improvements . If I do that and I reach those goals, I hopefully inevitably get to that position & # 39 ;, said McIlroy of the first place he last had in September 2015.

"It's a by-product of consistently playing good golf and I have been doing that for a while now. "

Key to great success & # 39; good start & # 39;

McIlroy says the support he received at Royal Portrush helped him make more effort

McIlroy won the US PGA Tour Player of the Year award in 2019 after a season of victories at the Players Championship, the RBC Canadian Open , the Tour Championship and the HSBC champions in Shanghai.

His focus in launching his 2020 campaign is on adding his count of four major titles. With a victory at the Masters in April, he would complete a Grand Slam career.

"When I look back on the majors I won and did well, I always started well," he said. "Three of the four majors last year, I started slowly. I'm going to try to improve that this year."

With the Tokyo Olympic Games and the Ryder Cup also in 2020, McIlroy calculates its way through a busy year. He plays at the Irish Open, the Memorial, the Canadian Open, the US Open and the Travelers Championship for five consecutive weeks.

The Open Championship is followed by the Olympic Games and the FedEx Cup playoffs from the US PGA Tour and the Ryder Cup on Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Aimed at Six Tournament Profits

If he is not at the top of the world rankings on Sunday, McIlroy said there are plenty of opportunities.

"I don't want to say it feels like a matter of time, but if I just keep doing what I do, if it isn't this week, then hopefully it will be a few weeks down the line and I have my chances, "he said.

"I'm not putting myself under pressure this week to get it done. It was exciting to play the tournament for the first time last year, and a year later I feel a bit more comfortable with the golf course.

"I set myself the goal of winning six times a year and I won four. So I didn't quite achieve it, but I still had a good year.

"Five is the most I have ever won, so at some point I would like to surpass that. Six is ​​something I am aiming for, but there are many things in winning those tournaments, things I give up the course. "