Even for people to whom sport is a triviality, there will be happenings therein which, consciously or otherwise, ends up ingrained on their minds and, as a result of same, leave them linked in some way to the protagonists career thereafter.
The Wells Fargo Championship. A golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Prior to 2010, I’d never heard of it. But then Rory ‘happened’. Before the aforementioned event. Or the fella who went on to win it either. Or Quail Hollow GC, which was to become such a happy hunting ground for the four time Major winner throughout his career to date.
But it was a prototype of seeing somebody for the first time and their ability and class leaving a lasting impression. Like a Kieran McGeeney or a Tony Kelly or a Paul O’Donovan or an Evan Ferguson.
Rory at the Wells Fargo in 2010 was that for this writer. Unfortunately, the same parameters apply in a negative context. , the text received from a former inter county player which read “It’s a good job he (McIlroy) isn’t wearing white trousers”! is equally as embedded into recollections of the Hollywood star’s calamitous collapse on Masters Sunday of 2011.
However, equally so is the Sunday at the US Open a few weeks later when he blew the field apart like a clay pigeon just released from the trap almost before the judge had time to shout “Pull”.
In particular, one shot at either the 14th or 16th when he who was then of the curly mop of hair started his birdie attempt in what felt like a different parish. Yet all Sky Sports Golf commentator Rob Lee could do was exclaim “Honey, honey” as the dimpled sphere bobbled its way towards claiming squatters rights in the ground.
Or so we thought. Time and experience(s) would routinely prove that the golfing Gods had no intention of letting Mr McIlroy get anything the easy way.
From his first romantic inclinations with former Tennis star Caroline Wozniaki (#Wozilroy RIP), to the implosion at Augusta National and onto being late to the course for the last day of a Ryder Cup.
But do you know what the common thread running through each of the outlined setbacks is? After each of them, the player has bounced back to confound critics, expectation and possibly even himself by doing something extraordinary while, as he puts it himself in the bio section of his X account “Hitting a small white ball around a field”.
More than that, such was the rapidity and majesty with which he ascended to superstardom that he very quickly became the installed yardstick of and spokesperson for the conscience of the game when it came to matters like LIV Golf. Where Greg Norman et al tried to lure the game’s best players to practice their craft in Saudi Arabia despite the fact that (a) people in the part of the world know as much about golf as a cow does about Bank Holidays and (b) the ‘treatment’ of human rights in that area is more abhorrent than the fact Donald Trump is still in the US Presidential Election and not in a jail cell rotting, going the same colour on the inside as he is on the outside.
Given all that, not to mention the routine chaos that is the lifestyle of a professional golfer, is it any wonder things came under pressure for Rory and his wife Erica Stoll. However, whereas with Tiger Woods, the ar*e fell out of the Range Rover, literally, should it really be that big of a shock that Rory took a very different approach than most – or possibly anybody – would to dealing with the matters at hand.
Thus, even though this season’s Majors were every bit the rollercoaster ride they usually are for Rory, the upsides to same has been some of the best golf the Star Of The County Down has played in several years.
That was certainly the case over the most recent weekend. As is the case in golf, the top player from a given country ‘hosts’ their national open. What exactly that entails I’m not sure but what can be said is that for the lion’s share of the tournament, it appeared the host was going to top his own tournament. Until fate decided to play another little game of ‘Eff you Rory’ when the hometown hero hit disaster on the 15th and 17th.
The upshot of which was that McIlroy, who had led the tournament from flag fall, was left needing to eagle the 18th to force a play off with Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark. But, to borrow the line which Con Houlihan used with such brilliance, those whom the Gods seek to destroy, the first make mad.
After being tumultuously roared on the final green, the host needed to eagle from around 18 feet to send matters to extra time against the Dane. Who himself had cut through the field on the final day commensurate to how Wings Of Eagles had once done so in an Epsom Derby. Alas, where on that day, momentum, the racing Gods and the will of a village hauled Padraig Beggy over the line, this time around, the dimples on the golf ball turned the wrong way.
Hence the little white spec on which so much money rides spun around the hole like a coin after being tossed in the air and rolled around the cup before lipping out. Therefore giving the Co Down man a fourth near miss of the season. Though it must be said that he did, in fact end up in the Winner’s Enclosure on four separate occasions in the season just winding down. The same number, incidentally, as the instances during which he ended up chief bridesmaid throughout the season.
All of which would go a long way towards explaining why the 35-yeard-old could afford to be a tad philosophical when reflecting on the latest near miss. He said “That roar when I hit that second shot on 18 was pretty cool,” McIlroy said. “The support I got out there this week was absolutely amazing. I’ve had a great time being home. It’s been too long. Need to keep coming back more often.
“But yeah, look, from where I was at the start of the week and what I wanted to do, it’s a step in the right direction. You know, if anything, it just whets my appetite even more for Portrush next year.”
On seeing another winning-looking position evade him, the vanquished warrior offered that he “Felt like I was in control of the tournament for most of the day. Felt like I was playing really solid, doing what I needed to do, making a lot of pars, making the odd birdie. “Then obviously the two bogeys on 15 and 17 opened the door for someone to have a good finish like what Rasmus did there on the last few holes”.
Disappointed, naturally, but as perhaps only he can, very keen, straining almost, to pole (invoking a bit of cattle mart speak) the ‘glass half full’ mindset. “Unfortunately I played well this week, missing the green right on 15 was the place that you can’t go. And just misjudged the speed with the first putt on 17.
“Overall, yeah, obviously really disappointed that I didn’t win but I’ll try to take the positives and move on next week to Wentworth.”
As for his near misses this year and close calls in the US Open and the Olympic Games, he said: “Unfortunately I’m getting used to it this year. Hopefully, the tide is going to turn pretty soon, and I can turn all these close calls into victories.”
It certainly won’t be for the want of trying.
Leave a Reply