The back of an eight inch by three-and-a quarter inch airline boarding pass holds the key to the success or otherwise of Rory McIlroy's 2015 season.
McIlroy, in one of the more unusual revelation to commence what is his eighth season in the pro ranks, indicated he spent portion of the seven-and-a-half hour flight aboard his Emirates Airline flight on January 5th from Dublin to Dubai penning seven goals on the boarding pass.
Having then memorised those goals, McIlroy has tucked the boarding pass well into his wallet and will not look at it again until the end of the season.
Also it is practice the current World No. 1 admitted he has been undertaking since he began travelling regularly to commence a new season in the UAE.
And in a reflection of McIlroy's progress in the game he can recall adopting this practice first from economy class to last year when he flew from Sydney to Dubai, travelling aboard an Emirates flight in seat 4K, whereas his recent journey from the Irish capital to Dubai was at the very front of the Boeing 777 and rightfully in seat 1A.
"Every year, I'm flying to Dubai for a week's prep work of 10 days, I write down my goals on the back of my boarding pass, and I put the pass in my wallet and I memorise them," he said.
"But then I don't look at them until the end of the year.
"I don't share my goals with anyone else. They are just little goals, and I'll try to achieve those, and I'll take that boarding pass out at the end of the year and see how I've done."
Last year, McIlroy was successful in capturing two Majors, a first WGC title and winning the European Tour's flagship event but met just four of his seven 2014 goals.
"I wanted to have six worldwide wins last year but I only had four," he said. "But still it was a good year. I've been doing this since the start of my career. Once I don't need the boarding pass, they are discarded. It's funny the seat numbers have gradually gotten less and less. First is was seat 13B then 12A, so it's been nice to move forward up the flights each year."
It prompted this journalist to cheekily ask McIlroy if those goals were on the back of a full boarding pass or just the stub.
"No, the full boarding pass," he said laughing. "However I haven't had a boarding pass yet where I have managed to tick off all my goals but then the way my career is progressing maybe one day I won't need a boarding pass, as that's the ultimate."
But then McIlroy was brought back to earth when quizzed about his intending Dublin High Court appearance early next month when he's staring at the possibility of a week in the witness box over the dispute a former management company.
However McIlroy did not seem at all concerned the case will have any detrimental effect on his golf.
"No, it's not a distraction at all," he declared. "I've literally not thought about it since whenever I last to talk to someone about it. I just go with what the lawyers say and they tell me to just sit tight and not talk too much about and that's it. It's no big deal. I'll be okay at the end of the day."
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