McIlroy under the microscope

ERNIE Els, Pádraig Harrington, both three times major championship winners, are here. So, too, Lee Westwood, the European number one and three other members of the world’s top 10 including Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.

However, when the €4.5 million BMW PGA Championship gets under way over the much altered and improved West Course at Wentworth this morning, most eyes will assuredly be on a 21 year-old from Holywood, Co Down who in a short but glittering professional career has won one tournament on the European Tour and another in the United States.

For Rory McIlroy, a golfer blessed with a swing and public persona to die for, goes into the championship as one the favourites along with Ernie Els, the man who has redesigned the West Course over the last 12 months, to claim the first prize of €450,000 and further improve his current 9th place in the world rankings.