Can Rory straighten game?
“I guess so,” he answered a little uncertainly when asked yesterday whether he shared the enthusiasm of his fellow major champions. His response seemed to sum up just where his mindset rests after a series of high profile mishaps on and off the golf course that have seen him plunge from the being the game’s number one player at the start of the year and one of the most popular and appealing sportsmen in the world to a stage where you must wonder what will be the next accident to befall the 24-year-old.
Interestingly, Conor Ridge and Colin Morrissey, directors of his former management company Horizon Sports, were prominent during McDowell’s press conference in the Carton House media centre yesterday but there was little sign of them when McIlroy made an appearance. This is just one of the off-course dilemmas Rory has to confront while he remains a little red faced after breaking the shaft of his nine iron in a fit of frustration during the US Open.
“It definitely wasn’t the right thing to do,” he agreed. “I wouldn’t recommend anyone watching or watching on TV or any kids to start throwing their clubs or bending their nine irons. It’s doesn’t set a good example. There are other ways to show disappointment.”
On a brighter note, he quipped: “The nine iron is intact after getting a new shaft this week and it’s ready to go.”
When asked about his management company situation he stated: “I can’t really comment. I’m very happy with my life and very happy with everything... right now, I wouldn’t want it any other way. At the minute, I’ve got a really nice balance and I’m in a good place.”
Hopefully he will be able to say as much come Sunday evening because both he and the Irish Open could do with a big McIlroy performance. And it was good, too, to note that Greame McDowell clearly wishes him nothing but the best in spite of reports of a certain coolness between the two Ulstermen in recent weeks.
“Rory is no different from any other extraordinary athlete that’s played the game,” McDowell declared.
“He experiences ups and downs. Those athletes typically learn a lot from their downs and come out bigger and better and stronger and that’s what I expect Rory to do. He’s still the same guy and he’s still got the same phenomenal golf swing and same phenomenal attitude to the game. It’s only a matter of time before his results start to follow.
“Yeah, he’s in a mini slump for a Rory McIlroy but he’s still an extraordinary golfer and we all experience these slumps. People who show up tomorrow morning will watch a guy who is exciting and makes the game look easy, and you know, he’s the kind of guy that I’ll be expecting to show this weekend if things go his way. He’s the favourite to win this event for good reason.”
There is absolutely no doubt McIlroy has been the architect of most of the many difficulties that have afflicted him this year. The walk-off during the Honda Classic, the apparent fabricated excuse of a wisdom tooth problem and the broken club in the US Open stand out. But he is still only 24 and clearly has some maturing to do. Some of the flak fired at him and the snide remarks concerning his relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki have been distinctly unfair. The point is not lost on Graeme McDowell.
“I can’t imagine what Rory has gone through this year,” he stressed. “It’s tough to imagine that he can notch up to the level from last year, what he was doing on the golf course was phenomenal. His profile has definitely notched up a level this year and he’s now one of the most recognised athletes in the world, tossed in there with the Tiger Woods and the Federers and Nadals and all of these amazing Nike athletes that we read about week in and week out.
“It’s a lot to deal with for a young lad from Northern Ireland who is, at the end of the day, just a normal kid. It’s a lot to deal with in the head. This is not about the golf. There’s a period of acclimatisation. Let’s be honest, he’s incredibly good at it.”
