Frustration and the media are part of golf, Rory
A very promising start of four birdies in the first 10 holes should have been the catalyst for a round that most players could only hope to achieve on their best day. At the very least, it should have been the platform for a solid opening round that would have kept Rory at or around the top of the leaderboard. Instead we got a final eight holes littered with some of the most erratic play and inconsistent shot-making I have witnessed in his short career.
Looking on, he seemed quite bemused with some of the shots he was hitting. He fought hard to stay in contention but in the end it all caught up with him and he cut a very dejected figure walking off the 18th green after signing for a double bogey and a round of 70. For most mortals that would signify a great round of golf but for Rory it hurt.
As golf analyst for RTÉ and the Irish Examiner, I was there to witness every shot he played. While never reaching anywhere near the high standards he has achieved in his short time as a professional golfer, I still believe I am qualified enough to comment on his game, his psyche and the expectations of the galleries. I would also say the same for Jay Townsend, who for many years competed very successfully on the European Tour, before moving into his golf tournament commentary role for the Golf Channel on both sides of the Atlantic.
Yesterday, Jay’s job was to follow and comment on McIlroy’s group. Upon hitting his second shot into the water on the 18th hole, Jay commented that Rory had made many “silly shot decisions” over the closing eight holes. His comment, in my opinion, was a very accurate assessment of Rory’s play over that stretch of holes.
Townsend’s role is to impartially explain the shots players will face throughout their round. As a Tour veteran he is there because his presence adds value to the TV audience. Quite simply, his job is to tell it as it is. On more than one occasion yesterday, Jay was very complimentary to Rory, describing his second shot to the 14th as the shot of the day and probably one of the best shots he has ever seen. Is he right to criticise? Yes, if he is being fair and objective, but when he went online and tweeted his thoughts publicly, that was wrong. It was as if he had a hidden agenda and Rory over-reacted to what he believed was a concerted effort over time by Jay to undermine Rory’s caddie JP Fitzgerald in particular.
Rory was wrong to rise to the bait, but in some ways you can understand his decision to protect what he feels is a very important cog in his armoury.
Pádraig Harrington said this week that this was a great opportunity for the Irish public to see and support Rory. He also described Rory’s talent as being “raw” and he was right. He still has much to learn both on and off the course.
In a very short period of time Rory has generated huge wealth for himself and has become a household name. Who has helped him generate that worldwide profile? Twitter is no way to vent his frustrations.
He should reflect on this episode as another steep learning curve in his young career. As the world’s fourth ranked player he needs to understand, (or be helped by his management company to understand) the impact of his public actions.
Frustration will always be a part of his professional career — but so too will be the media, most of whom are trying to objectively comment on his performances.
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