Concentrate on Golf Rory - Nick Faldo

Sir Nick Faldo has told Rory McIlroy he has 20 years at the top to win as much as he can and should be concentrating solely on golf.

In the last six months the 24-year-old Northern Irishman, whose high-profile relationship with tennis player Caroline Wozniacki has also come in for some criticism, has changed equipment suppliers and management company.

He has not won in that time and since finishing eighth at the Players Championship in May he has missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship, tied for 57th at Memorial, finished 41st at the US Open and missed the cut at the Irish Open.

After that last appearance he departed determined to discover the right driver which worked for him and now claims, after testing a tNike's London base, he has done just that. But although recently Faldo has criticised the Northern Irishman's decision to change his clubs it is his overall focus which is now the target.

"I actually think it's a lot going on in his mind," said the three-time Open champion, two of which were won at this week's venue Muirfield in 1987 and 1992. "You need 100 per cent concentration, off the golf course, practicing, as well.

"Most ideal I can think is to go to the club at nine in the morning, hit balls all day long, and leave at five. You have to do that. You have a 20-year window of opportunity as an athlete. Concentrate on golf, nothing else."

Faldo admits his chances of success this week are limited to making the weekend, which in itself will be a significant ask considering his last competitive round came at St Andrews in the 139th Open Championship in 2010 where he missed the cut on nine over. But he believes the current crop of younger professionals are the best prepared of any generation.

"I'm 56 on Thursday. About two months ago I was at my gym at home and I thought 'You're just strong enough to have a go. It might be the last chance I get to walk with fellow Open champions'.

"But when you see the test that they've prepared you start grand ideas of survival, of how close to the cut could I get? That would be impressive for a guy that hasn't hit a competitive shot for three years."

On the younger, fitter competitors he is up against Faldo added: "These kids, they've got it all now. They have this knowledge, it's not a guess any more - in our era we were still guessing. They all have the knowledge and understanding of the game."

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Selfridge Wins Cathedral Eye

Chris Selfridge won the Cathedral Eye Clinic North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush in Saturday’s final defeating Gary Hurley by 2 and 1.

“I was sick on the days leading up to the championship and was on the point of withdrawing but then decided to give it a go. I really wanted to play in the event and my coach, Johnny Foster, wanted me to play, even if I was sick.

“Johnny told me that he had a real good feeling that I could do well at the North this year,” revealed Selfridge.

Foster’s feeling proved spot on, as Selfridge eased through the matchplay field after qualifying on the cut-off mark.

“I did feel a bit under pressure as Gary (Hurley) got off to a good start but I had faith in my own ability so I just told myself to stay patient. I knew I had it in me to win,” stressed the Moyola Park player.

Maynooth undergraduate Hurley (20) stormed off by winning the first hole when Selfridge missed from five feet, but the new champion’s touch on the greens was back in evidence when he rolled in a 20-footer at the fourth hole for the first of his five birdies to level the match.

The next four holes were halved before Selfridge got his nose in front at the ninth to turn one up. He was three feet from the pin and when Hurley missed par from four feet he conceded his opponent’s putt.

It was back to square at 10, however, when Hurley rolled a 60-foot downhill putt to three feet and Selfridge, after sending his 20-footer four feet past, missed the return. At the 12th hole, Selfridge slotted in a birdie three from 25 feet and Hurley missed from five.

Toledo-based Selfridge went two up at 15 as Hurley was in rough twice and also in bunker trouble.

The match ended two holes later. Hurley was pin high right with a fairway wood as Selfridge was 80 yards short with a six Iron but steered his third approach to six inches. Hurley needed to hole his chip for eagle to keep the match alive but he missed on the right and the Moyola man was champion.

“I made five birdies and two bogeys which wasn’t bad for a final and I was well under par all week. I’m delighted,” enthused the new champion.

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Maybin Shares Fifth at Scottish Open

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Gareth Maybin kick started his season at Castle Stuart this weekend with a share of fifth place after a final round of one under par at the Scottish Open. 

Three birdies were the reward for the day but with shots dropped at the e9th and fourteen Maybin ended the day on -14 and a valuable cheque for 124,860 Euro.

Paul McGinley finished in 24th with Shane Lowry unable to build on his opening round of 66 to end the weekend sharing 31st place.

Damien McGrane signed for a 75 on Sunday and dropped seven places to end the final day five under par and 42nd on the leader board.

Simon Thornton, Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie, Padraig  Harrington and David Higgins all failed to make the cut.

Phil Mickelson went from agony to ecstasy to win the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open after a play-off with Branden Grace.

Needing just a par five at the last to secure victory in regulation play, the American uncharacteristically took three from the edge of the green.

That meant extra holes with South African Grace, who was already in the clubhouse on 17 under at that stage.

But on the first trip back down the 18th, Mickelson produced a stunning wedge to within a few inches of the cup and Grace could not match his birdie.

"This is really cool," said Mickelson, who claimed his first individual victory in Britain just four days before the start of The Open Championship at Muirfield.

"I have been coming here for some time and had some opportunities and I almost let it slip away today. To come out on top was terrific.

"I was so mad at myself for mentally losing my focus that I came out on that 18th pretty focused to make a four."

Mickelson began his round with a double bogey six on the first after topping his second shot and three-putting, but birdied four of his next five holes and also picked up three more shots at the start of the back nine.

A birdie on the 14th gave him the lead for the first time and three straight pars, including an excellent save on the 17th, had seemingly secured the €579,080 first prize.

However, the four-time Major winner's closing bogey meant a round of 69 to match that of Grace in the group ahead and a second Scottish Open play-off, the left-hander having lost out to France's Gregory Havret at Loch Lomond in 2007.

Overnight leader Henrik Stenson and Denmark's JB Hansen shared third place on 15 under, Hansen having threatened to pull off one of the most remarkable victories ever seen.

The 22 year old began the final round just two shots off the lead but his chances of a maiden European Tour title looked to have disappeared with a quadruple-bogey nine on the par five second.

However, Hansen bounced back with five birdies in succession, picked up another shot on the ninth to be out in 34 and when he birdied the tenth as well was suddenly in the outright lead.

The Challenge Tour graduate also got back into a share of the lead after Stenson had overhauled him with birdies on the tenth and 11th, only to drop three shots in his last four holes.

A place in The Open was on offer to the winner of the tournament if not already exempt, but with Mickelson taking the title first reserve Scott Stallings gets the Muirfield berth.

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Harry Happy with Major Haul

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Padraig Harrington, who once won three major titles in the space of 13 months, insists he will be happy with his career if he never wins another.

Harrington won the Open in 2007 at Carnoustie and became the first European to successfully defend the title since 1906 when he triumphed again 12 months later at Birkdale.

When he also won the US PGA Championship three weeks later it meant the Dubliner had won three of the last six major championships contested, but that victory at Oakland Hills remains his last in any tournament on a major worldwide golf tour.

The 41-year-old has certainly not given up trying, finishing eighth in the Masters and fourth in the US Open respectively last year, but has come to realise that he already has plenty to be proud of.

"That's my one piece of advice whenever I see someone win a major. I remind them this isn't going to happen every week. Make the most of when it happens and enjoy it," Harrington said ahead of next week's Open at Muirfield, where he finished one shot outside the play-off in 2002.

"They don't happen as often as you think they will happen, even in a great career. If you look at my contemporaries, Tiger has actually won 14, and then you've got Ernie (Els) and Phil (Mickelson) have won four, but you really don't win that many majors. That's the way of the world.

"I played a practice round with Nick Faldo at Augusta one year and he had already got his sixth major, and he's working so hard on the golf course. I asked him why and he's just trying to win one more.

"I hope I'm not that person, that I can enjoy the three I've won as much as I'm trying to win as many more as I can. You do have to stand back at times and say three is pretty good, let's enjoy that.

"I'm always going to give it 100 per cent. Some kids you need to give a kick up the backside to get them out there to work.

"I'm the opposite; I need to taper things down. In order to get four and five and six and seven, I need to accept that I've done well as it is. The fourth one is not going to make the first three any better."

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Route 64 in Scotland for Maybhin

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Gareth Maybin take the clubhouse lead on day three of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open after a round of 64 and advanced to 13 under par for the week with eight birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the long sixth.

“It was pretty much flawless apart from I guess the two bogeys,” said Maybin, who finished tied for eighth in France last weekend. “I played great golf, flagged it all day and made a bunch of putts.

“I’m over the moon. Very, very solid this morning and absolutely perfect conditions in sunny Scotland, which was nice.”

Maybin joins American Peter Uihlein and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.

Henrik Stenson fired a six-under-par 66 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

The resurgent Swede dropped his only shot of the day at the ninth before coming home in 32, culminating in a birdie at the 18th, to reach 16-under-par for the event.

Stenson was backing up Friday's sizzling 64 and has now made just one bogey in his last 47 holes.

Phil Mickelson, John Parry and Branden Grace all matched Stenson's 66 to leave themselves two back and they were joined by Denmark's JB Hansen, who handed in a 69.

Mickelson, who is yet to win in Europe, began the day four back and finally got going after seven successive pars in a blemish-free round.

"The last 11 holes were a lot of fun," said the 43-year-old American. "The first seven holes I got off to a bit of a slow start and I was really behind when I needed to make up ground.

"On the eighth I tried to slow it down and be patient, got one putt to drop and that seemed to ignite the rest of the round. I think I will be a couple back but I've got myself in a good position for tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it.

"Any victory over here would be terrific but we are getting ahead of ourselves.

"There's a packed leaderboard so it will take one good round of a shootout between 15 and 20 guys that are right there. Being in position and shooting that good round today feels terrific but I've got to go out tomorrow and duplicate it."

Unheralded Scotsman Chris Doak backed out of contention after leading by one at halfway and after a 73 finds himself five shots off the pace, while Ross Fisher, who began the day one behind Doak, also went the wrong way with a 73 that included no fewer than six bogeys.

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