You Are What You Eat: Rory McIlroy’s Terrible Diet Is Actually A Great Sign For Fans

Rory McIlroy, you assume, is, like most professional athletes, an exemplar of restraint and self-discipline.

After all, how can you go from this:

To this:

Most fans probably assume Rory’s meals are precisely crafted by a personal chef with nary an empty calorie nor an indulgent dessert on the menu. Most fans, in short, assume Rory McIlroy isn’t eating burgers, fries, chocolate, and beer with regularity.

He’s been quite undisciplined with his diet for “the past year-and-a-half” the Ulsterman told reporters at the British Masters.

Things have gotten worse on the food front since his April marriage to Erica Stoll, who McIlroy revealed to be an excellent baker. Taking things a measure further, their favorite show is (can you guess?) the Great British Bake Off.

McIlroy also cited restaurant food (with bountiful American portions, no doubt) as a dietary nemesis

“When you travel a lot, sometimes it’s hard to get into a routine where you eat right, and you’re always eating out at restaurants and sometimes you don’t make the best choices.”

This quote, however, is the best of all. One of McIlroy’s most enviable attributes is his relatability and willingness to speak his mind. He didn’t have to say anything about his poor dietary habits, and he will doubtless get plenty of flack for his honesty.

“Like a dog, whatever you put in front of me, it’s going to be eaten. Whether I want it or not, if it’s there, I’ll have it.”

Who has experienced this phenomenon? Heck, who hasn’t experienced it this week? Plate of cookies sitting in the kitchen? I’ll just have one…or two…or three. Bag of potato chips? Just a handful won’t hurt. Handful…bagful…what’s the difference?

Beyond humorous resonance, however, nutrition is obviously more important for golfers than the average human being. For golf, in particular, diet fits into the larger puzzle of appropriate self-care when jet-setting around the world. And while a round of golf isn’t generally a physically grueling experience, it’s a significant caloric burn. So, without discipline or a plan, it’s easy to reach for the burger, fries, and beer combo in the clubhouse.

Rory has begun seeing the ill effects of poor food choices.

“There’s been a couple of times this year where my joints have been inflamed or I just haven’t quite had the energy levels and whatever. So I just want to get some food allergy stuff done and use this time to delve deeper into trying to see where I can really get better and be more disciplined.”

McIlroy then mentioned he plans to take a six-week offseason during which he’ll get a complete panel of tests and health workup in England before heading to the United States for more of the same.

While knowing Rory McIlroy loves his Stella Artois may give you a chuckle, knowing he’s doing the right things to get ready for 2018 is the more important takeaway.

Start the discussion

to comment