McIlroy tipped for the top

RORY McILROY may be only 16 but already he is being hailed by Ryder Cup heroes Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood as a star of the future.

McIlroy is contesting his first professional tournament at the British Masters starting at the Forest of Arden, Warwickshire, this morning on the back of his magnificent triumph in the West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point at Easter and a closing round of 67 in last week’s Irish Amateur Open in which he finished sixth.

The Darren Clarke Foundation is one of the avenues the Holywood prodigy has been using to progress his career, prompting Clarke to pay him some lavish compliments.

“Rory is an unbelivable talent,” says Darren. “He has been to my foundation weekend for the last three years. Plus 4 at 16 is pretty good, don’t you think? The experience he picks up here and again next week at the Irish Open will be a big help. He is one of the brightest young Irish prospects we have had for some time. He has his head switched on. He knows what he is doing.”

McIlroy is warmly fancied to become the youngest ever Walker Cup player in Chicago in August. Clarke wishes him all the best in that respect, although as one who turned professional before he could be picked, Darren doesn’t seem unduly bothered whether that comes to pass or not.

“In years gone by if you were a Walker Cup team player, that made a bit of a difference when you turned pro but now it is completely irrelevant,” he maintained. “It doesn’t make any difference whatsoever. The choice is down to him. I was basically playing an amateur tour at 16, 17. I was playing all around Ireland, in Britain and further afield. The only difference was I didn’t have to make cuts day in, day out or make a living from it. I don’t think I would have been ready for it at that age but I was not plus 4 when I was 16.”

McIlroy partnered Westwood in yesterday’s pro-am. He was level par through nine holes having salvaged a four at the difficult 9th with a remarkable recovery from 20 yards through the back of the green. It was the kind of shot that also convinces Westwood of the bright future that may lie ahead for the youngster.

“He looks very good, hits it a long way for a 16 year-old, technically he looks very good, he strokes the putts very nicely and pitches it very nicely so all round it is very good,” he said. “He’s only 16 of course and still a bit, what’s the word, scrawny, and still has time to grow. He’s not going to get any shorter and once he grows and matures, he’ll be fine. I don’t see any negatives at the moment. But what do you know at 16 ... you know nothing, you’re only going to learn more. It’s just a case of getting to know how to get around golf courses, where to miss it, gaining confidence, things like that.

“An occasion like this should be great for him provided he treats it like he should - not take it too seriously, not set his goals too high, try to make the cut and see what happens after that. He’s got a good caddy, Paul Stevens, on his bag.”

Asked if Rory had been picking his brains out there, Westwood quipped: “Not particularly, although I wouldn’t know when my brain is being picked and when it’s not.”

As it happens, McIlroy WAS trying to pick up anything like he could from Westwood as he commented: “I’d love to make the cut, that’s my priority, and to do so I’ll learn all I can from people like Lee.”