Rory builds optimism ahead of Lytham test
It has already been an up and down year for the one-time golfing prodigy from Holywood. Having risen to world No 1 status in March he has suffered a slump in form that reached its nadir with a missed cut at the US Open, cutting short his title defence by two days.
However, some productive work with long-time teacher Michael Bannon, who also accompanied his pupil to the USA earlier this month, and two tidy rounds of 70 and 69 over the Dunluce links at Royal Portrush this week have given McIlroy renewed optimism that he can mount a serious challenge for the Auld Claret Jug in two weeks’ time on the Lancashire coast.
Given his obvious discomfort with the windy conditions at Royal St George’s in last year’s championship, that frame of mind should not be dismissed easily.
“Definitely I’m close,” McIlroy said after yesterday’s 69. “I definitely feel like I’ve made a couple of big strides forward since the US Open and as long as I continue to work on it and keep doing the right things then I’m right on track.
“What really left me those last few weeks was ball striking, what I really do well. So it’s just trying to get back to making your strengths as strong as possible and for me that’s driving it well, hitting good iron shots and giving yourself chances for birdies.
“It’s getting there. I’m hitting really good shots out there when I want to, holding it up right to left, left to right. There’s still a few loose ones in there but that’s natural, you can’t hit every shot perfect. I see a lot of good shots out there which gives me a very good bit of confidence.”
There was no greater example of a confidence-boosting shot than McIlroy’s approach at the par-four seventh. Hit straight into the wind from the left edge of the fairway, the 23-year-old crafted his six-iron to deliver the ball 155 yards onto the green to leave him with a 20-foot birdie putt he dispatched with aplomb.
“That’s the sort of shot, probably the best shot I hit all day. It was only a 155 yards and to have a ball under control like that is something I’m working on. Seeing a shot like that gives me confidence to know that I can play well.”
McIlroy admitted that six-iron shot was not one he had in his locker a year ago.
“I would probably have tried to hit a hard seven in there and drive it low instead of smoothing it like that and taking a bit of the spin off. It’s actually a shot I’ve been working on with Michael, trying to play it more with your body — control it a bit more with your body turn. It’s something that I’ve been working on for Lytham.”
By the time McIlroy arrives at Royal Lytham for the British Open’s first round on July 19, he will have laid the foundations for a successful links campaign, grateful to have laid the first building blocks here in Portrush.
“This is going to be my last tournament before Lytham so playing in a tournament like this with conditions like this on this golf course can only be good.”
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