Rory McIlroy makes feelings clear after Jon Rahm ends stand-off with DP World Tour

Rory McIlroy has expressed his satisfaction at Jon Rahm resolving his dispute with the DP World Tour, clearing the path for the Spaniard's potential inclusion in next year's Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.

The Basque golfer confirmed earlier this week that he had paid his outstanding fines and will now fulfil the tournament requirements necessary to maintain his membership and qualify for Luke Donald's selection.

"I think it's good that we have it all behind us," McIlroy told Golf Channel before this week's Truist Championship at Quail Hollow.

"I think as a European Ryder Cup player, we all know that having Jon on the team is better than not having him on the team."

McIlroy acknowledged that Rahm required more time than other players to reach an agreement but was grateful the matter had been settled.

The Northern Irishman begins his campaign at Quail Hollow on Thursday afternoon, teeing off at 4.33pm alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose, with the start delayed from the original schedule due to morning storms.

The Northern Irishman has identified driving accuracy as his primary objective this week, having been dissatisfied with his performance off the tee at Augusta despite claiming victory.

"Driving accuracy," he stated when asked about his focus.

"I didn't drive the ball as well as I would like to at Augusta, but I felt like every other aspect of the game was really good."

A strong showing at Quail Hollow would provide ideal preparation for next week's PGA Championship at Aronimink, where McIlroy could secure his seventh major title and third Wanamaker Trophy.

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McIlroy reflected on his proudest achievement from Augusta, highlighting his ability to recover from a difficult third round.

"The big thing that I'm proudest of was, I struggled so much on the Saturday at Augusta, and then to go and spend that time with Harry [Diamond] on the range and figure a couple of things out, and then go into Sunday and have it stick and trust it, and go on to win, that was something I was really proud of," he explained.

The Holywood native emphasised that finding more fairways remains essential to his game plan.

"But, yeah, I just need to get the ball in the fairway more," McIlroy added.

McIlroy revealed that his consecutive Masters triumphs have sparked a fresh sense of purpose in his career.

"I feel like the last decade of my career was all about, you know, can I win the Masters, and can I complete the slam?" he said.

"And when I did that, I never really thought about what was on the other side of that."

The four-time major champion described this year's Augusta victory as validation of his 2025 success and the beginning of a new phase in his golfing journey.

"I feel even more motivated than I have before, because it's given me the belief that, okay, I can win the Masters, playing like that at certain times," McIlroy said. "And that to me gives me a lot of confidence going forward."