Americans bank on Rory effect
The two-time Major champion, whose record-breaking PGA Championship success last August was one of five wins worldwide in 2012, begins his campaign next week in Abu Dhabi and the 23-year-old has begun practice this week with coach Michael Bannon at the Els Club in nearby Dubai, working alongside locally-based Ulster pro Justin Parsons.
His season-opening showdown with Tiger Woods at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is keenly anticipated by golf fans and the European Tour alike but is set to be his only regular event on that Tour for five months as he turns his attentions to America, much to the delight of Finchem.
The Rory effect is well and truly taking hold Stateside, where 14-time Major winner Woods was for years the PGA Tour’s cash cow. Finchem is now banking on McIlroy’s marketability continuing to wow the US corporate dollar, just as the Irishman raked them in by topping the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic in 2012.
“Last year the PGA Tour had an incredibly strong year and it was like everything just came together and the fact Rory advanced a couple of levels in his career and continued demonstrating he’s got the capability to... match it with the better players like Tiger was the key factor in helping the PGA Tour have the great season we had,” Finchem said.
“And part of that, and when a guy takes on the... identity level Rory’s taken on, it has a ripple effect heading into the future.
“By doing all that Rory conjures up in the minds of the people making the decisions about what is going to happen next year, five years from now, arrangements with sponsors, tournament officials and so on that it gives us more strength in our conversations with those people to strengthen our Tour,” added Finchem.
“I always said of Tiger that when he first came on to the Tour in late 1996 his biggest contribution was going to be stuff to see 10, 15 and 20 years in the future.
“As regards to Rory, it might be a little early to say this, but he has potential if he can be consistent enough and win enough, and that’s the next question, how far can he go?
“As an individual, Rory stirs the imagination of all people and the amazing thing about Rory is that he’s like Tiger in a sense in that we saw in the (FedEx Cup) Play-Offs he clearly did not play well as he had on the Saturday, but he can absorb that bad round and bounce back and do what he needs to do to win.
“There’s not many players who can do that.
“So I certainly think Rory has the potential given his personality and how well grounded he is, and how good he is that he can have the long-term profound effects on the game because he has the potential to be around a long time.”
McIlroy’s stellar 2012 was yesterday further recognised when he was voted Professional of the Year in the Irish Golf Writers’ Association Awards.
It is the Holywood star’s third such award from the IGWA, having also won in 2009 and in 2011, when he shared the honour with Darren Clarke.
The IGWA’s amateur awards were also captured by Ulster golfers, with Rathmore’s Alan Dunbar voted the Men’s Amateur of the Year following his Amateur Championship victory at Royal Troon. Royal Portrush’s Stephanie Meadow claimed the Women’s Amateur of the Year award following a season in which she helped her University of Alabama team win their first NCAA Championship title, secured the decisive point in GB&I’s Curtis Cup success and then won the Ladies British Amateur Open title.
Also set to be honoured at an Awards Dinner sponsored by Carton House Golf Club in Maynooth on January 24, for which recipients will receive trophies specially designed by Tipperary Crystal, will be Cork-born businessman Oliver Barry, who helped found Ireland’s first pay and play course in 1992 at Hollystown Golf Club, will pick up the Distinguished Services to Golf award.
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