Faldo in firing line as McIlroy lets rip

A fired up Rory McIlroy will clock in for The Open Championship today insisting he is as hard-working as anyone in golf after rubbishing Nick Faldo’s claims he needs to focus more.

The world number two, struggling for form amid a change in both equipment and management companies, will today aim to kick-start a disappointing season at Muirfield in the third major of the year having issued a stinging rebuke to six-time major winner Faldo, who earlier this week said the Irishman needed to concentrate more on his golf.

“I saw what he said, and he said I should be at the course nine to five,” McIlroy said yesterday. “I actually was on the range at 6:15am, and got out of the gym at 6:15pm, a 12-hour day compared to his eight-hour day. Nick should know how hard this game is at times. And he’s been in our position before. And he should know how much work that we all put into it.”