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• Rory McIlroy believes amount of travelling is a disadvantage
• “No way I could sustain that for the rest of my career”
• Is playing the Frys.com Open – the PGA Tour opener – this week

RORY MCILROY

Rory McIlroy believes he has a disadvantage over rivals Jordan Spieth and Jason Day due to the amount of travelling he does for tournaments – and believes there’s ‘no way’ he can sustain that for the rest of his career.

Earlier this month, statistics revealed by the world No.3’s sponsor Santander showed that, over a 12-month period, McIlroy had spent 350 hours on a plane and 287 nights in hotels, playing tournaments in China, Australia, the Middle East, as well as frequent trips back and forth from his base in the USA back to Europe.

Contrast that to the likes of Spieth, who has made just four trips outside North America in that time for the WGC-HSBC Champions, Australian Open, the Open and the Presidents Cup, and Day, who has played just the latter two.

“I definitely see a day where those numbers are going to drop” – Rory McIlroy

“I felt when I was looking at it, it definitely put me at a disadvantage as a lot of the other guys don’t have to travel that much,” said Rory McIlroy, who is playing in the PGA Tour opener in California after a spell back in the UK watching the Northern Ireland football team and Irish rugby team. “Even here. Okay, there are guys coming from Korea from the Presidents Cup so I shouldn’t be complaining, but the 12-hour flight to get here landed yesterday at 3am. You struggle with jet lag a little bit.

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“But that’s the sort of travel that have you to do to be a worldwide player. You have to be out of your own bed 270 nights a year. You have to fly over two weeks of the year. It’s crazy numbers.

“I definitely see a day where those numbers are going to drop. No way I could sustain that for the rest of my career. Whenever that day is I’m not sure, but for now that’s the life I live. I’m enjoying it, and I’ll do it for a while.”

Rory McIlroy :: At a disadvantage?

Do Spieth and Day have the upper hand over Rory McIlroy because of the amount of travelling the Northern Irishman does? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.

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