Curls may be gone but Rory hopes bounce is back

Rory McIlroy will launch the defence of his PGA Championship title today confident that his smooth swing can find a way back into his game and march in behind a renewed pep in his step.

It was just a year ago that McIlroy dragged himself out of a mid-season slump and romped to a record eight-stroke victory at Kiawah Island to claim the giant Wanamaker Trophy and add a second Major victory to his resumé. Furthermore, victory in this championship kick-started a run of form that saw the Holywood star win back-to-back events in the FedEx Cup play-offs and then the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to top the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic.

Now 24, and with a dismal eight months of golf behind him in 2013, McIlroy is hoping for a similarly dynamic switch in fortunes as the 95th PGA Championship rumbles into action at Oak Hill. And though all thoughts in upstate New York have turned to a renewal of the Tiger and Phil show, McIlroy is desperate to muscle in on the action and send a reminder of the vast golfing talents he has at his disposal.

No one of McIlroy’s standing in the game can possibly help to come into a Major championship under the radar, but with world No 1 Woods dominating the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational field at Firestone last week for his fifth victory of the year, just two weeks after Mickelson scooped the Claret Jug with his final round for the ages at Muirfield, this is about as low-key a lead-in to a title defence as the County Down could hope for ahead of his 1:25pm (6:25pm Irish) tee time alongside former PGA champions Vijay Singh and Martin Kaymer.

He certainly feels he has turned a corner during his preparations for the final Major of the year and has found comfort not just from a haircut to shed some unruly curls to combat the New York heat but also with a night in front of the telly watching a highlight reel of some of his finest moments, including that Kiawah romp of 12 months ago.

“It sort of lifted me a little bit and I took some good things away from that,” McIlroy said.

“I’m excited about the week, I really am. I’m looking forward to that first tee tomorrow afternoon.

“For sure, you look at the way you’re swinging the club, but also, it’s more than that; it’s body language, it’s how you carry yourself, it’s all that sort of stuff, your little mannerisms. I guess it’s just trying to just remember those feelings and remember how I felt that week and trying to carry some of that into this week and just get those good, positive thoughts going.”

In particular, McIlroy has spotted two key things form a year ago that could make a difference this week.

Of his swing he said it was “more free-flowing, more I guess swinging without care in a way”, adding: “Obviously you have to care about where the ball is going, but swinging it like you’re giving it your all and ripping through the ball.

“Even walking between shots, and that’s something I started to do last week again, which is really, I think everyone sees when I walk and I’m playing well, I have that little bounce in my step, so just trying to get that going again and trying to get that positive energy back.”

Walking the walk is fine, of course, but McIlroy has to back up good body language with that fluid swing of his, something he has not been able to do thus far this year.

“I guess just every time you play and you don’t play well, it sort of chips away at your confidence a little bit, and it’s just about building that back up. But I’m sitting here as confident as I have been all year.

“I expect to play well and there is no reason I shouldn’t as I have played a couple of practice rounds and I played really well this morning,” he said.

Oak Hill’s East Course, a classic old school parkland layout designed by Donald Ross that opened in 1924, will place demands on McIlroy’s swing like few others with its narrow fairways and deep rough placing accuracy off the tee and into the greens at a real premium. That will clearly favour players with their games already dialled in and in top form, such as Woods and this year’s Major champions Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Mickelson, while American Hunter Mahan has started the final rounds of the last two Majors in the final group and will benefit from that experience again here.

Yet the defending champion is confident the magic of Kiawah is within touching distance.

“It’s not that far away,” he said. “I just need to go out there and enjoy it and I know when I enjoy my golf that’s when I bring the best out of myself and if something doesn’t happen this week then it’s fine, but I know that’s what I am building towards.”

OAK HILL TEE TIMES

Today’s first round pairings (All times Irish)

Starting at No 1

12.10pm: J Senden (Aus), R Labritz, S Lowry (Irl)

12.20: K Aphibarnrat (Tha), B Gaus, L Guthrie

12.30 M Leishman (Aus), J Teater, P Larrazabal (Spa)

12.40 R Palmer, T Gainey, D Hearn (Can)

12.50 M Thompson, M Siem (Ger), B Van Pelt

1.0 R Beem, S Micheel, M Brooks

1.10 S Brown, R Sterne (Rsa), D Lingmerth (Swe)

1.20 B Curtis, M Fraser (Aus), P Hanson (Swe)

1.30 P Lawrie (Sco), S Cink, R Cabrera Bello (Spa)

1.40 T Olesen (Den), B Gay, D Lynn (Eng)

1.50 S Gallacher (Sco), D McNabb, B Grace (Rsa)

2.0 C Fitzgerald, K Streelman, B Wiesberger (Aut)

2.10 J C Anderson, J Van Zyl (Rsa)

********

5.25 R Ishikawa (Jpn), John Huh, Danny Balin

5.35 D Clarke (Irl), T Watson, P McGinley (Irl)

5.45 R Perry, K Idoki (Jpn), N Watney

5.55 N Colsaerts (Bel), J Day (Aus), B Snedeker

6.05 T Clark (Rsa), L Westwood (Eng), B Watson

6.15 M A Jimenez (Spa), W Simpson, A Cabrera (Arg)

6.25 R McIlroy (Irl), M Kaymer (Ger), V Singh (Fij)

6.35 L Donald (Eng), G Fernandez-Castano (Spa), J Spieth

6.45 A Scott (Aus), J Rose (Eng), P Mickelson

6.55 I Poulter (Eng), L Glover, Z Johnson

7.05 C Wood (Eng), M Small, K Chappell

7.15 K Stadler, C Stroud, C Sullivan

7.25: S Skinner, R Ramsay (Sco)

Starting at No 10

12.15 B Sowards, C Hoffman, M Every

12.25 M Sheftic, R Garrigus, H Fujita (Jpn)

12.35 H Mahan, P Casey (Eng), B Horschel

12.45 S Stricker, H Matsuyama (Jpn), J Dufner

12.55 S Garcia (Spa), M Kuchar, R Fowler

1.05 E Els (Rsa), G McDowell (Irl), B Haas

1.15 P Harrington (Irl), D Toms, YE Yang (Kor)

1.25 H Stenson (Swe), D Johnson, C Schwartzel (Rsa)

1.35 K Bradley, D Love III, T Woods

1.45 P Uihlein, J Furyk, T Bjorn (Den)

1.55 K J Choi (Kor), R Polzin, J Blixt (Swe)

2.05 S Stallings, J Kokrak, J Sorenson

2.15 R Castro, S Jamieson (Sco), S Smith (Nzl)

*****

5.20 M Brown (Nzl), B Koepka, S Piercy

5.30 J Martin, D Ernst, C Howell III

5.40 K Duke, M Manassero (Ita), J Walker

5.50 D Willett (Eng), J Luiten (Ned), R Henley

6.0 G Coetzee (Rsa), F Jacobson (Swe), H English

6.10 B Weekley, F Molinari (Ita), T Jaidee (Tha)

6.20 R Moore, J Donaldson (Wal), A Noren (Swe)

6.30 G Ogilvy (Aus), B Rumford (Aus), J Merrick

6.40 Sang-moon Bae (Kor), W Austin, M Laird (Sco)

6.50 D A Points, C Pettersson (Swe), M Ilonen (Fin)

7.0 G Delaet (Can), K Hanefeld, K Stanley

7.10 D Muttitt, C Beljan, B De Jonge

7.20 L Rhind, C Kirk, M Warren (Sco)