Rory McIlroy won his second golf major title aged 23 years and three months, becoming the fifth youngest player ever to do so in the history of the game, and joins an elite club that includes Young Tom Morris, Gene Sarazen, John McDermott and the Seve Ballesteros. Although the achievement by Morris in 1869 was done at 18 years of age, it is safe to say that the game is rather different these days. It is also unlikely that the set up of a course, and the weather conditions, could have been as tough in The Prestwick Club for the legendary Morris. Although we cannot be sure from this time and distance.
But what we can be certain of is McIlroy’s achievement last Sunday, which was also done in record breaking style, with a cracking field of the worlds top players, all falling by the way side as the young Holywood golfer got closer and closer to the eighteenth green. Making it all the more curious as to why there has been so little hooting and hollering by the media over the past few days. Especially when compared with the endless post Augusta analysis in 2011 after McIlroy failed to master his drive off the tenth tee box. All leading to every golf expert and analyst listing the changes that were needed for McIlroy to achieve success, many starting with caddie JP Fitzgerald.
In the subsequent eighteen months that list was tempered somewhat by an opinionated media as Rory proceeded to cruise around Congressional for a US Open, and pocket not only his first major in impressive style – but also match the feat of his friend and countryman Graeme McDowell. McIlroy also did so the exact same age as record breakers Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus In having proved his doubters wrong so soon after the Masters collapse McIlroy was rewarded with justified merit and attention – that lasted weeks and months. In a sort of homecoming the media darling had proved all those early features, colourful articles and early predictions for success right – and everyone was a winner. Or at least felt as if they were.
In the ensuing moths McIlroy then proceeded to change management company, preferring to work with the Irish company, Horizon Sports and focus on the PGA Tour, rather than continue with International Sports Management under whom he had decided to take his US playing rights. Given that Team ISM also managed the 2010 Open Championship winner Louis Osthuizen, the 2011 Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel, as well as McIlroy’s boyhood idol, Darren Clarke, the move was not easy. And as golf is a small community it looked like it might also test the friendship with Lee Westwood, also part of Team ISM. However Horizon were no slouches as they had just overseen Graeme McDowell break the forty year European hoodoo at the US Open when at Pebble Beach in 2010 GMAC equalled Tony Jacklin’s record.
On the personal side the new PGA Champion also made changes ending his long standing relationship with Holly Sweeney after meeting Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki at the Vladimir Klitschko and David Haye world heavyweight bout in Germany. A meeting which changed the course of his life as he started dating the world tennis number 1 immediately afterwards, leading to speculation that the "Wozzilroy" combination may hamper both their sporting ambitions. And for while it anecdotally did support the pundits view as Rory missed cuts and Wozniacki slipped from the ATP’s top slot to fourth, all adding to the column inches and analysis of impending disaster.
All of which was going to the media’s chosen script when McIlroy missed five or six consecutive cuts, including the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last May and the US Open at The Olympic Club in June. It was grist to the mill when McIlroy had an indifferent four days at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s for the Open Championship, despite a 67 in the opening round, with much printed and tweeted about the extra curricular activities, a lack of focus and the ability to equal the records of Woods and Nicklaus. But just as paper never refuses ink, McIlroy kept battling away albeit his body language at times clearly showed his own personal frustrations, he avoided the pitfalls and interviews that even more experienced sports people have at times succumbed.
So quiet was his departure from watching Caroline play in the London 2012 Olympics that his arrival at Firestone for the Bridgestone Invitational, the week before the Kiawah Island event, was even more low key than his return to Augusta in April, leaving his golf to do the talking. Which it did, with rounds of 70-67-67-68 and a final Sunday that saw him card just the one bogey on the par four ninth, and some aggressive shot-making that suggested something resembling top form. But few of the media stories seemed interested in that angle and but a handful backing McIlory, with title defender Keegan Bradley taking much of the attention, particularly arriving to South Carolina with the Bridgestone cheque in his back pocket. Along with Ernie Els' resurgence post The Open, Dustin Johnson, Kyle Stanley and Padraig Harrington were all in the reckoning.
That opening round of 67 should have been a clue as McIlroy was one stroke adrift of the first round leader Carl Pettersen of Sweden. Except on Friday card of 75 ensured that the media mindset and the pre-tournament pundit predictions were upheld. At The Independent, James Corrigan was unconvinced, naming Dustin Johnson as the winner, and Angel Cabrera as his outside chance. Perhaps no surprise as he had been happy to repeat prior to the US Open this year some views from Jack Nicklaus about McIlroy.
“The 18-time major winner was shocked to hear that McIlroy had decided to prepare at the St Jude Classic in Memphis for next week’s title defence at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
“You didn’t play the week before last year’s US Open, but you are doing so this year?” said Nicklaus to McIlroy, in a joint interview with CNN. “I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Except Nicklaus couldn’t, telling McIlroy how he always skipped the week before a major to practice at the course.
“Not to disparage the Memphis tournament, but nobody remembers who won last year in Memphis,” Nicklaus said. “They do remember who won last year’s US Open. We will never forget that.”
The other tipsters were Doug Ferguson, Associated Press golf correspondent, who went for Steve Stricker but had McIlroy as his dark horse; Bob Harig of ESPN.com said winner was Jim Furyk and dark horse, Kyle Stanley; Steve DiMeglio, USA Today golf correspondent named Dustin Johnson as possible champion and his bright-trousered dark horse was John Daly. For Paul Mahoney of The Independent & Global Golf Post the winner would be Lee Westwood and outside bet David Toms, with Ewan Murray of The Guardian selecting Louis Oosthuizen and Padraig Harrington. In the case of Philip Reid of The Irish Times the choices was Bubba Watson and the dark horse was Italian Stallion, Matteo Manassero
Only Peter Dixon of The Times and Karl MacGinty of the Irish Independent in the European Tour.com poll named Rory McIroy as a potential winner.
As MacGinty so succinctly wrote at the time “Because Kiawah Island and the Ocean course suits him."It’s going to suit long straight drivers of the ball, right up his alley. Like a links, but not a links, more American style of course.”
How right he proved as the masterly McIlroy display in the final round, as well as the margin of the victory, proving that in the coming years red-shirt Sunday will no doubt dominate once more. It will just be a different tiger wearing it this time - one straight out of Holywood. So Pundits best beware.
Clearly McIlroy is going to do it all his way, just like Young Tom Morris, Gene Sarazen, John McDermott and Seve Ballesteros.
Courtesy of Punditnewswire - All rights reserved 160912
