 |
| Getty Images |
On that December day in 2010 Lee tweeted: "Sorry 140 letters is not going to be enough for this rant! Just seen Ricky Fowler has been given rookie of the year! Yes he's had a good year but Rory McIlroy 3rd in 2 majors and an absolute demolition of the field at quail hollow! Oh yes and on the winning Ryder cup team! Please! Is this yet another case of protectionism by the pgatour or are they so desperate to win something! Wouldn't have something to do with Rory not joining the tour next year? Maybe the PGA tour just employs the same voting process as Fifa! Come on, fairs fair!"
The PGA news at that time coming in the wake, let it be said, of an announcement by Rory McIlroy that he would play full-time on the European Tour in 2011, and just commit to 11 or 12 tournaments in the U.S. that year. Despite a string invitation for the PGA Tour.
A decision made when McIlroy was with ISM management and at a time he considered Northern Ireland as home, the place where his family and then girlfriend were based. The choice made even more dramatic when it included missing the 2010 Players Championship at Sawgrass – an unusual thing to do in the mind of most players.
Now, two years on, it is difficult to imagine what Westwood will tweet given that Rory is no longer part of the same ISM stable, yet in the mix for the PGA Tour player of the year, has been awarded a similar title from the PGA of America; topped the money list on both sides of the Atlantic; holds the 2012 Harry Vardon Trophy; garnered two major titles in all; has extended his winning record in the Ryder Cup to two out of two, and also joined the mega stars with a new contract with Nike imminent and now part of the best paid sporting athletes in the world. All achieved in just 24 months.
Amidst that that change the 23 year old has also moved to the United States to live near his friend and stable-mate at Horizon Sports, 2010 US Open Champing,Graeme McDowell, with a new look personal life as well as Rory now dates WTA Tennis star, Caroline Wozniacki
It says a lot too for McIlroy that alongside him on the fairways remains JP Fitzgerald, who in 2011 came under much scrutiny on the final day at The Masters in Augusta when his boss blew a four-stroke lead - when victory was within reach. That criticism coming for not reining in McIlroy’s natural aggressive instincts, and saw him walk off the 10th green with a triple-bogey seven – after crashing his drive into a tree. Indeed, further criticism followed at the US PGA Championship in the August when McIlroy picked up a wrist injury on the opening day having struck a tree root, after his drive on the par-four third ended up in the trees.
Rather than play out sideways, Rory chose to fully take the shot on with the club making heavy contact with the root, causing him to drop his club in agony – and fall out of contention. Despite that McIlroy never contemplated letting his bagman go, regardless of the flak Fitzgerald took for his part in the player's demise, saying at the time
"There was no point in me saying, 'JP didn't do a great job there, I'm going to get someone else'," he said in the Independent. "JP has been on my bag since the middle of 2008, when I was 200th in the world and he's helped bring me to where I am now.
"Here's a guy who has been with me for all five of my wins on Tour. He's been with me through some tough play-off losses. He's been with me through everything.
"I've a great relationship with JP. He's become one of my closest friends over the past two and a half years. It's a combination that works very well. I firmly believe if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
As history recalls McIlroy bounced back from his Masters disappointment, winning his first major at Congressional Country Club by eight shots and Fitzgerald is well on his way to joining those elite rich caddies, such as Steve Williams.
However earlier this year those heady days at Congressional were starting to seem dreamlike and perhaps a one off, as McIlroy missed a number of cuts, including Sawgrass, and a run of 13 top-five finishes in 15 events coming to a sudden end. The hiccup was then exacerbated at the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth where the world number one carded rounds of 74, 79 to end nine shots over, only three weeks before his US Open title defence. Which was become his fourth missed cut at The Olympic Club and a talented player looking only a shadow of the same golfer who had skipped around Congressional for a record 16 under par finish.
Not dissimilar to the figure cast at Royal Portrush for the Irish Open in July, where McIlroy made the cut but could finish no better than tenth.
Not dissimilar to the figure cast at Royal Portrush for the Irish Open in July, where McIlroy made the cut but could finish no better than tenth.
Then a few weeks later McIlroy out of the blue validated for any doubters his ability with an eight-shot win at the U.S. Open, blasting the field at Kiawah Island in the PGA Championship. With the talent from Holywood, Northern Ireland not onlky adding to his major count but also becoming the youngest player since Seve Ballesteros to win two majors as Tiger Woods was about four months older than McIlroy when he won his second major.
Now the talk is will Rory match or exceed the Jack Nicklaus and Woods records.
What a difference two years can make.
Irish Golf Club Gazette - All rights reserved
