Rory McIlroy: Only ‘positive vibes’ for future majors with drought over

Understandably, Rory McIlroy has had a whirlwind couple of weeks.

McIlroy captured his long-awaited Masters victory and completed the career Grand Slam less than four weeks ago. What followed was a mix of celebration and commitments. He took the next week off from the PGA Tour to visit his parents in his native Northern Ireland, then played in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event, where he and Irishman Shane Lowry were defending champs.

He had obligations in New York after that, "bits and pieces" as he called them. The sort of commitments that come with the territory as one of the most famous and accomplished golfers on the planet.

"I'm excited to get back to being a golfer," McIlroy told reporters Wednesday ahead of the Truist Championship. "It's nice to get back into the routine again and get back to what I know how to do."

The signature event at the Philadelphia Cricket Club marks the first standard tour event for McIlroy since his Augusta breakthrough, and it will serve as his warm-up for next week's PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. He's won that major twice - 2012 and 2014.

There's no doubt McIlroy will be on the hunt for his sixth career major win, but for the first time since his 10-year major drought, a weight has been taken off his shoulders.

"I'm obviously going to feel more comfortable and a lot less pressure, and I'm also going back to a venue that I love," McIlroy, 36, said. "It's nothing but positive vibes going in there next week with what happened a few weeks ago and then with my history there and how well I've played at Quail.

"Yeah, it probably will feel a little bit different. I probably won't be quite as on edge as I have been for the last few years when I've been at major