GULLANE -- Rory McIlroy hasnt gotten too worked up about his struggles this year. He certainly doesnt need any advice from Nick Faldo. McIlroy shrugged off a suggestion from the six-time major champion to spend more time concentrating on golf, saying Wednesday that Faldo "should know how hard this game is at times." McIlroy won his second major title last summer with a runaway win at the PGA Championship, but the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland has been off his game this season after changing equipment. Heading into the British Open, some have also speculated that off-the-course activities have cut into his preparation time and mental sharpness. Earlier this week, Faldo seemed to join that group when he urged McIlroy to spend the next two decades focused solely on his golf, calling it his "window of opportunity," before savoring all the benefits of being a multiple major champion. "Whats the big deal?" McIlroy said. "I havent had the best six months, but its OK. Im fine. Ive got a good life. So, you know, it doesnt bother me. Im in a good place. And as I said, Im working hard. I feel like Im working on the right things. And sooner or later it will turn around and Ill be back lifting trophies." Faldo said he believes McIlroys struggles are mainly mental. "The most ideal thing is to go to the club, 9 in the morning, hit balls all day long, and you leave at 5," Sir Nick said. "Concentrate on golf, nothing else. Hopefully when you retire, in your 40s or 50s, hopefully you have another 40 years to enjoy it. So just concentrate on golf." McIlroy said he intends to play 108 practice holes at Muirfield leading up to the Open, and he took a jab at Faldos proposed schedule. "I actually was on the range at 6:15 (a.m.), and got out of the gym at 6:15 (p.m.) -- actually a 12-hour day compared to his eight-hour day," McIlroy said. "Nick should know how hard this game is at times. Hes been in our position before. He should know how much work that we all put into it." McIlroy said he doesnt feel as though his game is that far off. Certainly, theres no need to panic. "Its like life," he said. "Youre going to go through highs and youre going to go through lows. Its just about trying to work your way out of the lows. Yeah, I havent played my best golf this year, but Ive showed signs that it is there. Its just a matter of trying to do that more often. But, yeah, its been difficult to try, I guess, to explain why Im not playing well or why I havent had the results that Ive wanted over the past six months." McIlroy said he does his best to avoid what others are saying, though it was clear Faldos words got back to him. "Obviously its hard to avoid at times," he said. "You just have to have the confidence and the self-belief in yourself that youre doing the right things and know that what youre doing is ultimately going to get you to the place that you want to be." Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Wholesale Sabres Jerseys . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. http://www.cheapsabresjerseys.com/ . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Cheap Sabres Jerseys .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Cheap Sabres Jerseys China . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida running back Mark Thompson wont play Saturday against Georgia after being cited for marijuana possession.Thompson, who ranks third on the team with 262 yards rushing and two touchdowns this season, was pulled over early Thursday after he ran a stop sign near campus, according to a University Police Department report. The officer said he smelled marijuana in the car, performed a search and found Thompson in possession of fewer than 20 grams of the substance.Thompson was given a notice to appear for the misdemeannor violation.dddddddddddd He also was cited for failure to stop and failure to provide proof of insurance.The 14th-ranked Gators announced Friday that Thompson wont make the trip to Jacksonville because of some choices and decisions hes made.Without Thompson, Jordan Scarlett and Lamical Perine are expected to get the bulk of the carries against the Bulldogs.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '