His burgeoning relationship with Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish tennis player, has inevitably meant the lenses point ever more intrusively. "It's just something I'm just going to have to deal with," he said. There is no doubt McIlroy's U-turn (he quit the US Tour after just one season last November) has plenty to do with the realisation the courses suit him in the US, but don't underestimate the influence his "changed circumstances" had on his decision. He broke up with Holly Sweeney, his childhood sweetheart, before the Open and the split was apparently acrimonious.
Yesterday, McIlroy was here in Atlanta having a meeting with his manager, Chubby Chandler, and his father, Gerry. Ostensibly the sit-down was to discuss next season's schedule, although McIlroy had clearly already made up his mind on that score. "I am going to take up my PGA Tour card next season," he said. "It's something I really want to do." Interestingly, he will not be joining his great friend Graeme McDowell in Lake Nona, the gated community in Orlando. It may even come to pass that the Ulstermen cross each other going in opposite directions. McDowell is considering moving permanently back to Europe.
"I'm leaning towards going a little further south than Orlando, maybe to West Palm," said McIlroy. "It's not far away but it's nice and I practise quite a lot at the Bear's Club when I'm over here so it would be good to have that facility. It would be nice just to have somewhere to put all your stuff when you're over here for three or four months. I'm not looking at anything aside from an apartment or something like that, nothing big."
But there will be tax implications and like Ian Poulter and others he may soon be seduced by the benefits of residing permanently in America. All in all, this is worrying news for the European Tour. They have lost him exclusively and will now understandably fear for the future. In truth, McIlroy, the favourite for the USPGA, is not looking further than this week's major at the Atlanta Athletic Club. "I'm playing well. I'm really happy with the way I'm hitting it and driving it a lot better than I have done the last couple weeks," said McIlroy after his tie for sixth in Akron hurtled him back into the world's top four.
