Earmarked for greatness from an early age

IT IS something of a cliche when a young athlete bursts on the scene that his or her potential had been obvious from the start, but unless you’re a two-year-old Tiger Woods filmed putting with Bob Hope for US network television, very few can attest to the veracity of the testimonials.

As the video clips of a toddling Rory McIlroy juggling a golf ball on a cut down club and launching a mini version of that effortless swing were played regularly on American television yesterday ahead of the Holywood golfer’s final round at the US Open, it was a reminder that “wee Mac” has long been in the Woods category, however – earmarked for greatness from an early age.

The timeline reads like a pathway to greatness, from that 40-yard drive, aged two, through to victory at the Under-10 Doral Publix Junior event in Miami, to shooting a 61 around Portrush as a 16-year-old.