Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Ernie Els is urging Rory McIlroy to ignore the hype and do his own thing as he tees it up in the WGC-Accenture Match Play chasing a victory that could catapult him to world number one.
The Holywood star faces reformed South African party animal George Coetzee in the first round knowing he can become the first Irish player to top the rankings if he wins this week and current number one Luke Donald fails to make it to the third round.
The pressure has been mounting on McIlroy to take over at the top of the game and win multiple Major championships following his historic eight-stroke win in the US Open last June. But Els knows all about the pressure of expectation after winning two US Opens in his 20s.
"I come from South Africa which is a small golfing community, similar to Northern Ireland, and people want you to keep going," said Els, who faces Donald in today’s first round.
"But the important thing is that Rory sticks to his own goals. If he sticks to that and not other people’s expectations, he’ll do fine.
"At 22, US Open champion and number two in the world and number one apparent, he’s got a lot going for him if he keeps chasing his goals not other people’s goals. "
McIlroy makes no secret of the fact he’d love to become world number one this year but he’s not getting ahead of himself in an event where he has made his exit in the second round for the past two years. Playing some of the best golf of his life, he struggled over the weekend in his last outing in the Dubai Desert Classic yet still secured a top-five finish.
His goal is to get his game in tip-top shape for the Masters and begins a three-week run here that will take him to the Honda Classic and the WGC-Cadillac Championship before he heads to the range to get ready for Augusta.
"I don’t know much about George but I’ve seen his name up on the leaderboard recently so he’s obviously playing very well," McIlroy said. "I’d like to get a good run in this event after getting beaten in the second round for the last couple of years but everyone’s dangerous."
As for reports he is changing his swing, McIlroy shook his head and said: "Everyone is asking me, why are you trying to change the swing you won the US Open with by eight shots but all I am trying to do is get my swing back to where it was then.
"You fall into bad habits all the time and it is just a matter of teasing it back out and that’s all I’m trying to do."
Graeme McDowell gets the championship under way at 7.25am when he takes on YE Yang hoping to avenge last year’s third round defeat.
"I wasn’t at my best last year and YE is a bit like me and he won’t give it away, I am going to have to go out and win it," he said. "I’m playing a lot better than I was then, I’m rested and fresh and I’m excited about my game and my year. It’s all there simmering and if it doesn’t boil this week I’ll just wait for the week where I can put it all together."
Darren Clarke takes on Nick Watney knowing if he wins and Tiger Woods sees off Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez Castano, they will meet tomorrow in a repeat of the 2000 final at La Costa, which the Ulsterman won 4&3.
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