Rory McIlroy entered his name into golf’s most elite club on Sunday evening when his win at The Masters helped him complete the career Grand Slam. Thirty-five years of preparation went into the win, but one element that didn’t even exist when he last lifted a major 11 years ago was his WHOOP band, a device he says ‘changed his life’.
McIlroy is a WHOOP athlete and, as a result, knows more about himself than any of the other five career grand slam champions.
Since January his average Resting Heart Rate went from 55 beats per minute to 49 bpm in March.
His Recovery score on WHOOP went from the low 60’s to 74%.
His average sleep is seven and a half hours, and he recovered 74% on Thursday, April 10th.
“Once the turn of the year comes around, I dial it back in.,” he said earlier this month on the WHOOP Podcast, speaking with founder Will Ahmed.
“I’ve been wearing WHOOP for six years now; you know when you’re doing the right things and when you’re not.
“It’s great to have the WHOOP to tell you’re on the right track, but at this point, I know. I’m 35-years-old, I’m not one of the younger guys anymore, so a lot of these little habits help along the way.
“I don’t have the buffer anymore, so I have to act disciplined now. Time catches up with you, but I feel just as good now as I did when I was 25.”
McIlroy is the oldest golfer to complete the Grand Slam since Ben Hogan did so in 1953, and he credits his WHOOP as key to ensuring his body performs to its highest level when the game is skewing younger.
“I was once the young kid out there, and now there’s rarely a group I play in when I’m not the oldest person. Longevity is a big thing from a performance standpoint for me, and one I’m super proud of.”
“I’ve been a pro golfer for nearly 18 years, and I think I can do it for at least another decade. But after golf you still want your quality of life to be the best it can be.”
“I think that’s getting into healthspan and being your own health advocate and having tools like WHOOP to help you on that journey. I’m so thankful I started that at an early age.”
“I have myocarditis, and I’ve had it since I was 20 years old. I can wear WHOOP and monitor my Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Heart Rate (HR) and obviously coming down the line, some other things that can help me.
“With myocarditis, if you’re not hydrated enough or not getting enough magnesium, your heart can have little arrhythmias that can be worrisome. To be able to keep on top of that gives me massive peace of mind.”
“I love WHOOP, and it’s honestly changed my life.”
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Rory will be home to play the Amgen Irish Open at the K Club in September.
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