IT’S RORY’S TIME
Seven majors in year gives McIlroy hope of ending jinx
WHEN you think how they’re struggling to assemble a remotely credible field for the tennis version of the US Open later this month, a remarkable line-up has gathered by the bay in San Francisco for the US PGA Championship.
Every member of the world’s top 35 is in attendance, and only Lee Westwood and Francesco Molinari are missing from the top 50. Whatever happens over the next four days at Harding Park, the name of the winner will not be followed in the record books by an asterisk.
We’ve lived with enough uncertainty not to make any definite plans, but after the 382-day wait for a major championship, the idea is for a glut of them over the next 11 months.
An unprecedented seven, in fact. What a chance for a player to achieve a lifetime of dreams in less than a year.
Take the defending champion, Brooks Koepka. As ever, the ambitious American is setting his goals high, and wants to progress from his total of four to a doubledigit number before he’s done. Imagine the inroads he could make if he plays during the next year as he has over the last five majors with his stunning record that reads: 1-2-1-2-4.
‘I don’t know why players try to make majors a lot more complicated than they should,’ he said, with the breezy air of a man who thinks he’s found the secret code. ‘To me, it almost feels like the most relaxing week of the year.’
There was a time when Rory McIlroy turned up feeling like that. Six years ago to the day, to be precise. He’d won the Open at Hoylake, followed it by winning a WGC in Ohio, and was a Koepkalike favourite on the eve of the PGA. He duly won that as well to round off the best 12 rounds of golf played in sequence by a British or Irish player.
How many majors back then did we think he’d have won by now? Eight, 10, even more?
You certainly wouldn’t have found anyone who would have said six years later he’d still be stuck on four. But that’s how it often goes in majors. They’re frequently won in bunches and a player spends the rest of his career wondering where the wizardry went. That is why this frantic period coming up represents a heaven-sent opportunity.
McIlroy said: ‘I can’t say the fact I haven’t won one (since his last major victory) gives me sleepless nights, but of course it bothers me. My career means a lot to me. The important thing is that I’ve now got plenty of opportunities coming my way.’
McIlroy’s poor form since the restart has been well documented, with no top 10s in five starts, his poorest run for three years. ‘I’ve had some 63s, so the good stuff is in there,’ he pointed out. ‘I’ve just got to make sure I’m more efficient in my scoring and turn the 73s into rounds of 70 that make all the difference.’
Open champion Shane Lowry has a 15th club in his bag in Bo
Martin as he seeks to win backto-back majors, albeit 13 months apart.
Lowry felt the return of his regular caddie for the first time since March helped spur him to sixth place last week in Memphis.
‘I’ve been on my own, not seen Bo since March, who has watched me playing for the last two years. Bo said a couple of things on the putting green that I feel clicked. I felt more comfortable,’ said Lowry.
‘I don’t want to throw too many flowers at him and give him too much praise but it was good to have Bo back on the bag.
‘I feel like I’ve been playing good golf recently, I just struggled on the greens. I think if I can hole a few putts this week, I can probably give myself a chance.’
Koepka is bidding to become the first to win the PGA three years in a row since it became a strokeplay event in 1958. ‘We’ve still got no fans but you just know pulling into the car park that this week is different,’ he said.
‘We’re back playing big boys’ golf.’