Rory McIlroy returns to familiar equipment for his Pebble Beach title defence, aiming to replicate last year’s winning start and challenge world number one Scottie Scheffler’s consistency

DEFENDING champion Rory McIlroy is confident ahead of his US PGA Tour season debut at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

McIlroy, who won the event last year, said his game feels in good shape as he returns to the familiar equipment he has used for most of his career.

“I want to move on and I’ve got more goals. There’s more things I want to try to accomplish and achieve,” McIlroy said.

That includes repeating as champion at Pebble Beach, which will host the US Open next year.

The five-time major winner had experimented with different irons and a golf ball late last year.

“That experiment’s over, back to the trusty irons I’ve played basically my whole career,” he explained.

McIlroy remains second in the world rankings behind American Scottie Scheffler.

He praised Scheffler’s relentless consistency, comparing him to Tiger Woods in his prime.

“He’s really the first one since Tiger that’s doing this,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy noted that conditions this week will differ greatly from next year’s US Open setup at the same venue.

He expects thicker rough and more strategic play required for the major championship in June.

 The Sun Malaysia