The Irish Golf Club Gazette

8/08/2013

McIlroy Relaxes and Lefty Panics

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Phil Mickelson had opted not to practise at Oak Hill on Wednesday but was forced to make an unscheduled visit to the course, wearing shorts and flip flops, after forgetting to officially register for the event.

The Open champion would have been disqualified if he had failed to sign in, as 2003 US PGA runner-up Chad Campbell was in the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2010. Campbell had even played his first round before the mistake was discovered.

Mickelson was among the later starters for Thursday and had been paired, as is traditional, with the other two majors winners of 2013, Masters champion Adam Scott and US Open winner Justin Rose.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy was due off at 1:25pm local time, 20 minutes ahead of Mickelson, while world number one Tiger Woods was off at 8:35am alongside 2011 winner Keegan Bradley and former Ryder Cup captain Davis Love.

Mickelson was not alone in having an eventful week so far, David Lynn’s hire car breaking down after he put the wrong type of petrol in on the way back from a visit to Niagara Falls.

Lynn, a surprise runner-up to McIlroy 12 months ago at Kiawah Island, found the car did not take kindly to the cheaper grade of fuel he opted for and was forced to leave it at a service station around 40 miles from Rochester.

McIlroy won by eight shots 12 months ago but is rated a 33/1 shot to retain his title after registering just one top-three finish so far in 2013 and labelling his own play at the Open last month as “brain dead.”

However, the 24-year-old has been watching videos of his victory at Kiawah to gain inspiration and is a fan of the course set up at Oak Hill.

“I love how they have set the golf course up with the graduated rough. I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “You’re not penalised too much if you hit a shot just off line.

“I think they have set the golf course up fantastically well. It’s not an overly-long golf course, but you have to be really precise. You’ve got to hit fairways to give yourself chances going into the greens.

“I love PGA Championship golf courses because they set the golf course up so well. They are not looking to protect par. They are not bothered about people making birdies. There’s going to be opportunities to make birdies out there, but it’s obviously a very stern test of golf.”

8/07/2013

Mcllroy Read for Main PGA Course

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Rory McIlroy served up an interesting menu at the past champions' dinner at the US PGA Championship on Tuesday - and would love his critics to be eating humble pie this weekend.

McIlroy won five times last year, including his second major by eight shots, to finish top of the money list on both sides of the Atlantic.

But he has yet to record a win in 2013 and labelled his own play "brain dead" after an opening round of 79 in the Open at Muirfield, where he missed the cut on 12 over par.

Switching clubs in a controversial multi-million pound deal with Nike and spending too much time with girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki have been blamed for such poor form, but McIlroy went through a similar "slump" last year just before leaving everyone trailing in his wake at Kiawah Island.

"I love proving people wrong," the 24-year-old said in his pre-tournament press conference. "I loved sitting up here last year on the Sunday night and I proved a lot of people wrong. Maybe not necessarily in this room, but just people who had their opinions and said things and it was nice to be able to do that.

"I guess I've learnt to maybe not listen as much or not read as much, just sort of wrap yourself in your own little world or your own little bubble.

"I had to deal with it after the Masters in 2011 whenever people were saying, you can't come back from this, what's he going to do, he's blown his best chance to win a major. Two months later I was able to win (the US Open). I've dealt with it before and it's just something that's part of the job."

Previous wins could also be key to future success, with McIlroy watching footage of his performance at Kiawah Island and other career highlights to get back into the right frame of mind.

"I'm feeling good," the world number three added. "I've been watching a few videos of last year at Kiawah and watching some videos of some of my best weeks that I've played and it sort of lifted me a little bit and I took some good things away from that.

"First and foremost, I just haven't been swinging it the best this year. I got into a couple bad habits with my golf swing and it's just taken me a little bit longer to get out of them. When you're fighting that so much, it's hard to play the golf that I want to play, which is fluid and free-flowing. That's the way I play my best.

"Every time you play and you don't play well, it sort of chips away at your confidence a little bit, and it's just about building that back up. But I'm sitting here as confident as I have been all year, so I'm looking forward to getting going this week.

"I think everyone sees when I walk and I'm playing well, I have that little bounce in my step, so just trying to get that going again and trying to get that positive energy back. There's been times this year where I've really gotten down on myself and that's something that hasn't helped at all, and something that I'm trying to get better at.

As for that dinner menu, McIlroy opted for a goat's cheese and beetroot salad to start, Irish tenderloin for the main course and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

"Everyone definitely enjoyed the last two courses; I don't know how the appetiser went down," he joked.

8/06/2013

Dave Helps Rory Take Stockton

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Rory McIlroy hasn't enjoyed the best 2013 so far, failing to make the cut in the British andIrish Opens and losing his position as the World's No 1.

So perhaps in a bid to reverse his recent run of form, McIlroy has gone for a severe haircut as he prepares to defend his US PGA title at Oak Hill.

While his baseball cap was covering the severity of his cut, Rory looked like he meant business on the practice round this afternoon.

After a decent start at the Bridgestone Invitational at the weekend, he fell away and eventually finished in 27th place.

One of his own backroom team,Dave Stockton said that the Holywood star will have to 'work' harder to get back to the top of his game.

As McIlroy spoke more in hope than confidence of defending his US PGA title at Oak Hill, Stockton – one of his closest and most knowledgeable advisors – explained how the most naturally gifted golfer of his generation lost his Midas touch.

Two-time PGA champion Stockton is McIlroy's putting coach but also played a significant part in helping the 24-year-old break out of a form slump this time last year.

Stockton (71) said: "I just don't think he has worked."

The highly respected veteran suggested that the head-spinning changes in the young star's life as he rocketed to World No 1 made it difficult to strike the right balance in his career and devote enough time to playing tournaments and practice.

Asked if he thought it was inevitable for McIlroy to come down from the stellar highs of last year, Stockton replied: "I don't think so. I think he is still learning what he wants in life. That's my take on it.

"He has a girlfriend and all these things going on. Things happen, so okay, how do you adjust? I think his is more of a time (management) thing.

8/05/2013

McIlroy Confident Ahead of Oak Hill

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Rory McIlroy remains confident of putting up a strong defence of his USPGA Championship title at Oak Hill this week.

The world No 3 showed glimpses of his best at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but he again struggled with his accuracy off the tee as he finished 17 shots behind runaway winner Tiger Woods after a final-day 72.

The defending champion has been working hard to correct flaws in his long game over the past fortnight, and he insists he still has the ability to turn his form around at the final major of the season."I definitely had a better week last year, coming out of Firestone with a lot of confidence going into the PGA, feeling good about my game," said McIlroy, who tied for fifth at Firestone last season before romping to a record eight-shot win at Kiawah Island.

"I keep saying my game doesn't feel too far away. It's obviously not where I want it to be, but it's not a million miles away.

"I thought I struck the ball much better in the final round than I did the previous three days, which was great, which was a good sign.

"Obviously I didn't score very well the first day, then I didn't hit it particularly well in the middle two rounds, but actually my short game was good and was able to keep myself around par.

"On Sunday I played nicely, just a couple of bad holes on the back nine. But I have put in a lot of work for the past couple of weeks and I definitely feel things are going in the right direction.

"Once I get my long game back on track, I feel like my short game is exactly where it needs to be. If I can start hitting some fairways, hopefully I can challenge for some tournaments."

GMAC July Player of the Month

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Graeme McDowell has been named The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Month for July after becoming the second multiple winner on The 2013 European Tour International Schedule with his triumph in the Alstom Open de France.

McDowell, who receives an engraved alms dish and a Jeroboam of Moët & Chandon champagne, claimed a four shot victory at Le Golf National – venue for The 2018 Ryder Cup – on the outskirts of Paris in Continental Europe’s oldest National Open Championship to follow his victory in the Volvo World Match Play Championship in May.

The 2010 US Open Champion, who is currently second behind Justin Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, in The 2013 Race to Dubai, became the first Northern Irishman to win the Alstom Open de France – first played in 1906 – and claimed his third success of a momentous season following another win on the US PGA Tour.

McDowell, who celebrated his 34th birthday on Tuesday, said: “It’s nice to have another reason to celebrate, in addition to my birthday, this week. It was obviously a great win at the French Open. It’s a golf course I’ve always felt I can do well on.

“It was a special win at a prestigious venue. I’m delighted it has been recognised with this award. It’s always nice when it’s recognised that you’re playing well, especially against such a high quality field with some top, top players and in Major season too.”

The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Month Panel, comprising members of the Association of Golf Writers as well as commentators from television and radio, also considered the winning performances of another Northern Irishman, Michael Hoey, in the M2M Russian Open and Sweden’s Jonas Blixt on the US PGA Tour, in addition to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson’s back-to-back performances in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and The 142nd Open Championship.

Stenson included brilliant rounds of 64 and 66 at Castle Stuart Golf Links to finish tied third behind Phil Mickelson, then seven days later demonstrated his brilliance again on the links by taking the runners-up berth behind Mickelson at Muirfield to move to fourth in The 2013 Race to Dubai and re-enter the Official World Golf Ranking top 20.

Derek Lawrenson, Golf Correspondent of The Daily Mail, said: “Henrik Stenson’s rise from the depths of the middle 200s in the Official World Ranking is a heart-warming example of the old adage about class being permanent.

"Nevertheless the Open de France is one of the most historic and best tournaments on The European Tour, played on a top-class course that was presented in perfect shape, and to come out on top Graeme McDowell demonstrated not only great craft and skill but all the combative qualities that make him such a wonderful competitor. He is a most worthy European Tour Golfer of the Month.”

McDowell will now be considered – along with previous winners Chris Wood (January), Darren Fichardt (February), Marcel Siem (March), Raphaël Jacquelin (April), Matteo Manassero (May) and Justin Rose (June) – for The 2013 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year Award, and all will be seeking to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Rory McIlroy.

8/08/2013

McIlroy Relaxes and Lefty Panics

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