Does Rory have the staying power to tame Merion?
His brief is not to protect the players or for that matter the final score. Instead it is to provide the players with the toughest playing examination possible, (as befits the status of the US Open) namely a course that best tests the players’ skills, nerves and temperament.
Once set up, he allows Mother Nature run its own course. Golf was never meant to be a perfect game played in a perfect world.
Yesterday I wrote quite a bit about Merion, about how special the venue is in today’s game because power is not an issue. This week Davis has tried to protect the course with four inch rough and with greens that are running at an estimated 13 (ridiculously fast) on the stimpmeter, but he has kept the fairways accessible and those conditions are nothing new for players of this calibre.
So why then are we seeing significantly more carnage this week? Because Merion is an old style course which places a premium on perfect shot-making and patience. Just look at some of its past champions — Hogan, Trevino and Graham, none of whom were regarded as big hitters but all of whom were very accurate and great shot makers.
Merion offers little by way of easy birdie opportunities regardless of the length of the hole and already we have witnessed just how ruthless it has been in punishing anything other than a perfect shot.
When thinking about the past champions then it is hardly surprising to see the name of Luke Donald figuring prominently in the early stages of this tournament. Here is a proven winner, and the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer last year for a total of 56 weeks, yet he has no major championship to his name.
To win this week he will have to properly manage his feelings as well as his expectations. Desire will not get him over the line but Donald’s game is one of precision, strength of mind and a wonderful short game, all the necessary traits to be a champion at Merion.
Contrast Donald’s fortunes then to the ongoing trials and tribulations of Lee Westwood.
Regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, it is sad to see him almost continually up there in major championships only for his short game or a couple of bad holes to scupper his chances.
Golf is indeed a cruel game at times and Westwood now looks like someone who is almost punch drunk from all the blows and setbacks he has encountered in the pursuit of his “holy grail” a major championship.
And what of the two best golfers in the world? Tiger this week has looked decidedly edgy on the course. He is playing nowhere near his best golf yet he is still hanging in there and you have to admire his tenacity. That said, I think he is playing with an injury and it remains to be seen if he can stay competitive.
That will only happen by finding some better form, especially on the greens, and staying out of the rough.
What can I say about Rory McIlroy. I have been critical of the many distractions he has away from the game, as I feel that they have greatly hampered his scheduling and his performances this year.
I did not rate him this week because I felt that Merion was mentally too tough a test for him given the standard of his recent performances, but I saw a steeliness and a determination in him yesterday that I have not seen for some time.
He has his game face on and he knows how to win the “big ones”.
That said, regardless of how well he plays, this week Merion will quite possibly provide him with his greatest challenge in his career to date.
He has the game, he has the talent, but the question remains….does he have the tenacity and staying power to tame Merion?
