Rory McIlroy wants to "get back to being a golfer again" after admitting he has 'sacrificed' vital preparation time to lead the PGA Tour's fight against LIV Golf.
The Northern Irishman missed the cut at the weather-delayed Players Championship on Saturday after toiling over 36 holes at the demanding TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy had been tipped as a leading contender to win the Sawgrass showpiece after his second place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill last weekend.
But he flattered to deceive in his last stroke play tournament before next month's Masters, with American rival Scottie Scheffler now favourite to claim his first Players title and return to world no.1 with a two-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round.
That McIlroy has assumed the role of unofficial chief spokesperson for golf's traditional ecosystem during the most tumultuous time in the sport's recent history has led to suggestions that such distractions could finally be taking their toll out on the course.
McIlroy - a member of the PGA Tour's policy board - has been a central figure in the American circuit's implementation of radical changes to avert the threat of the insurgent Saudi-funded LIV rebel series.
A controversial revamp includes eight "designated events" with limited fields, no cuts and boosted prize purses, with the ultimate aim of modernising and enhancing the Tour's product.
And McIlroy's presence in countless discussions, including a seven-hour meeting at Bay Hill last week, supports former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley's claim that he is suffering from fatigue.
The four-time major champion now wants to refocus on preparations for tournaments as he plots his latest bid to complete the career grand slam at Augusta.
"I'd love to get back to being a golfer again," he said after missing the cut at Sawgrass. "Look, it’s been a busy couple of weeks and, honestly, it’s been a busy sort of six or eight months. But everything has sort of been announced now, and the wheels have been put in motion, so it should quieten down from here. It's just the time management.
"The golf out here, that’s fine, but it’s just more the time at home to make sure you’re getting prepared, to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to be ready once you show up to these weeks.
"That’s where I’ve maybe sacrificed a little bit of time with some of this other stuff. As I said, I’m ready to get back to being purely a golfer.”
McIlroy already has one eye on the first major of the year, but will first take on an elite field at the WGC Matchplay in Austin starting on March 22.
