NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Rory McIlroy considers himself 'luckiest person in the world.' He explains why

Good luck or NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Centerbad luck, Rory McIlroy counts himself among the lucky.

The world No. 2-ranked golfer is still searching for his first major win since his 2014 PGA Championship victory at Valhalla, but despite the hard luck and near misses, McIlroy is keeping a positive outlook on his golf venture.

Speaking at this week's Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, McIlroy made it clear that there are no tears on his end, calling himself one of the "luckiest" people in the world.

"There's not a day goes by that I don't feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world to get up every morning and be healthy and follow my dream," McIlroy said. "There's videos of me at seven years old saying I want to be the best player in the world and I want to win all the majors. To be able to try to make that little 7-year-old boy proud every day is something that I really don't take for granted. I'm very appreciative of the position that I'm in in life."

That kind of positive mental attitude can go a long way for a golfer, especially one that's been on the receiving end of collapses under golf's brightest lights. Most recently, McIlroy failed to convert a two-shot lead with three holes to play at the 2024 U.S. Open, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to secure the victory at Pinehurst. It was another bitter end to McIlroy's fifth major championship quest.

"I got over it pretty quickly," McIlroy said of the collapse. "The few days after it were pretty tough at times, but I feel like I've done a good job of thinking about it rationally and constructively and taking what I need from it and trying to learn from it. But like for the most part it was a great day. I keep saying to people, 'It was a great day until it wasn't.'"

McIlroy is likely hoping that this weekend's Scottish Open is a series of four great days. That will give him another running start to next weekend's British Open, and his next major championship attempt.