Rory McIlroy would like to come back and play the French Open…

Present at a press conference this Wednesday at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Rory McIlroy, promised a sixth title at the Race to Dubai, underlined, in a final question, that he would like to return one day to play the Open of France. The National Opens indeed seem to please him. Especially when some of them are arguing on a course that has hosted the Ryder Cup and the Olympic Games…

LV, in Dubai

The questions follow one another, the answers, often long but always relevant, flow… Rory McIlroy clearly appreciates these press conferences where we review golf news but also when we focus on more anecdotal, more seemingly trivial subjects. Upon a question from a Spanish colleague pointing out that it had been a long time since he last came to play in Spain, the Briton took the opportunity to grant a wish. That of participating more often in national Opens…

« There's a lot of different places I'd like to go playthen underlines the current world No. 3, echoing here his very limited schedule that he would like to put in place for 2025 (around 22-23 tournaments). I think for me, after the summer in America and having only played Irish, Wentworth and Dunhill, in general, or at least some years, there are only a limited number of tournaments to we can participate. »

I've been talking about the importance of some of these National Opens for a while, and they're some of the most historic tournaments we have in the game.

Rory McIlroy

« But I would love to come back and play the Spanish Open and the French Open. I've been talking about it for a while about the importance of some of these National Opens, and they're some of the most historic tournaments we have in the game. So yeah, I would love to come back and play in front of the Spanish fans A day. I just need to make everything work. »

Rory McIlroy has participated in the French Open three times Golf National. The first time was in 2008 (victory of… the Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal). He didn't make the cut. He returned in 2010, taking 4th place before a final visit in 2016 (3rd for the 100th edition of the oldest tournament in continental Europe).

We saw it again more recently for the Ryder Cup 2018 won by the European team on the Albatross course and in August for the Olympic golf tournament. The Northern Irishman loved this last experience lived in an indescribable atmosphere, not hesitating to declare that he had experienced a rare moment in his very rich professional career.

Photo: Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP