DUBLIN, Ohio – When will the best version of Rory McIlroy turn back up? This is a question many golf bettors, gamers and fans have on their radar of late.

At his best McIlroy still wows the masses. Still crushes the tee ball. Still savages golf courses. Still wins.

But McIlroy isn’t quite at his best right now.

Now the above statement is all relative. Because the 34-year-old is still ranked third in the Official World Golf Ranking and is sitting a decent 13th in the current FedExCup – which he is defending this season as the only three-time champion.

He has a win this season at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina and was runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, third at the WGC–Dell Technologies Match Play and T7 in his last start at the PGA Championship.

He ranks first in driving distance on TOUR and inside the top 17 in Strokes Gained: Total; SG: Tee-to-Green; SG: Approach; SG: Off-the-Tee; SG: Around the Green and scoring average.

Yet McIlroy, who entered 2023 as the betting favorite in all four majors and THE PLAYERS Championship, now suits up to play the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday as fifth in the betting lines. Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are all better bets, according to oddsmakers.

McIlroy’s first PGA TOUR win – the 2010 Wells Fargo Championship – came with him at odds of 50 to 1. But his 22 TOUR wins since have come at odds between 3 to 1 and 20 to 1. The latter was prior to THE CJ CUP @ THE SUMMIT in Las Vegas in October of 2021, the last time McIlroy found himself on the fifth line of pre-tournament betting.

He is +1400 at Muirfield Village this week via BetMGM Sportsbook having opened at +1100. As of Wednesday, he was 12th in tickets with just 3.2% and 11th in handle at just 2.5%.

Here’s why statistically:

He’s 189th in driving accuracy, 154th in Greens in Regulation and 144th in SG: Putting.

“I can't remember a time where I felt so uncomfortable over the ball for four days,” McIlroy said of his recent performance at Oak Hill, where he hit just 23 of 56 fairways.

“I needed to go back home and work on some things and, yeah, feeling a lot better about it, not fighting the club face quite as much. Feel a little bit more free, which is obviously a nice feeling.”

But there is also the emotional side to look at.

By his own admission, McIlroy hasn’t been at his peak mental state after missing the cut at the Masters and taking some time to reset at home afterward.

Those of us who have been lucky enough to spend time around him over the last decade or so have watched him grow from a teen phenom into a statesman of the TOUR and also a father.

And with that comes the need to create a work/life balance that younger golfers don’t need to think about. To be the best a golfer needs to be selfish. Practice for hours on end. Put golf at the forefront. That’s easier to do when you’re young.

Now as a husband, father, businessman, and player advocate for the TOUR itself… comes extra responsibilities. These are all part of growing up. And almost always are positive facets of life. But they change the dynamic for a golfer nonetheless.

Being on the road for a month is a far different prospect when you have to either bring a toddler with you… or leave them behind. And even when at home practice sessions are now sandwiched into set timing rather than staying until you’ve ground out whatever fix you’re working on.

“First world problems as they say,” McIlroy says. “It's something that I've really had to juggle for quite a few years. It just comes with part of life. You go through that whole life process of getting married, having children, having interests outside of the game that take up some time.

“I would love to sit here and say that I'm just a golfer and that's all I focus on, but that's not reality. So it's just about managing your time the right way so that you can continue to hone your craft.

“(The toughest part for me is) making sure that I spend enough time on my golf and on my career that I feel like I'm ready to play tournaments like this. But then at the same time that I spend enough time with my wife and my daughter so they actually know who I am. (Laughing.) I'm not saying that I don't, but there's that balance…, it’s time management, it's just getting your priorities in order.”

Former world No. 1 Jason Day is all too familiar with the distractions of the outside world having an effect on one’s game. Day, a 13-time TOUR winner, says golf is a sport where you can’t hide.

“If you play football or a team sport generally you can get your focus in the game as it’s played at quick pace in quick time and if you don’t perform at your absolute optimum there is a chance the teammates around you can pick up the slack,” Day said.

“But in golf we are out there for five plus hours with plenty of time for outside noise to filter into your head. And you are on your own. You can’t hide. So if something small or big is going on at home, or with family, friends, business… whatever… you really have to focus hard not to let it affect things.”

With all that being said the question remains… when do you get back on the Rory train as a bettor or gamer? As history shows, even in his win droughts, his odds are unlikely to slip much higher. Because there is a tipping point oddsmakers know will bring bets regardless of his form and you can never write off a champion.

But for me, I’ll be waiting at the station and watching the trains go by… even if it means missing it… until I hear the pep back in his voice. Here’s hoping it comes soon.