Rory McIlroy must make sacrifices to fulfil early promise

Way before Rory McIlroy turned professional in 2007 at the age of 18, it was obvious he already had enough talent to challenge the very best golfers in the game, but an impatient McIlroy always wanted more, writes John McHenry.

He wanted to be recognised as the best golfer in the world, something he duly achieved on March 4, 2012, when he became the No1 ranked player.

A little shy of 10 years later, the affable McIlroy’s roll of honour includes a US Open (2011), two US PGA Championships (2012, 2014), and the Open (2014), but with his disappointing show once again at the US Open this week, it begs the question — have we already seen the best of this immensely talented golfer?