LIV IN THE MOMENT

Rory won't be distracted by rebels now as he vows to focus 100 per cent on his game

- NEIL McLEMAN

RORY McILROY has claimed it is time to focus on me” and he will no longer come out swinging against LIV Golf.

But the downbeat Northern Irishman admitted he will go into the US PGA with less expectations’ after his latest Masters heartache.

The four-time Major winner took three weeks off after missing the cut at the Masters and then struggled on his return to action at Quail Hollow. Even playing Oak Hill this week his wife Erica is from Rochester and he is a member could not lift his subdued pre-tournament mood yesterday.

As a member of the Player Advisory Council, Mcllroy has been the leading critic of Greg Norman and the Saudi-backed league while also backing big changes to the PGA Tour. Mcllroy still finished in the top eight in all four Majors last year while lifting the FedEx Cup and returned to world No.1.

But his latest bid to complete his career Grand Slam in Augusta ended in familiar disappointment and he reported a worrying two-way miss last time out. He is also ranked 172nd on the PGA Tour for putting.

After spending the last week working on his swing in Florida with his coach Michael Bannon, McIlroy reckoned taking a vow of silence on golf’s civil war will help him back on the golf course.