GO MENTAL , RORY
Mcginley: Mcilroy’s World No.1 by a mile... once he gets his Major head right, floodgates will open
RORY MCILORY is “perfectly equipped” to end his Majors drought – once he wins his mental battle.
That’s the view of long-time admirer Paul Mcginley, who believes that when the World No.1 conquers the relentless pressure of a six-year Major dry spell, the sport will witness the Ulsterman’s second coming.
Mcilroy heads a stellar invitational quartet in a charity Skins event today at Seminole, Florida, as the game takes its tentative first steps at a return following a two-month break due to the pandemic.
The 31-year-old is partnered with Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and exciting new talent Matthew Wolff with $4million being handed over to charity.
When the serious action returns Mcginley believes that as soon as Mcilroy finally lands his next Major, the trickle will turn into a flood.
The Sky Sports Golf pundit said: “Before this lockdown, Rory was playing the best golf in the world – by quite a distance.
“The statistics have been improving and not only is he playing the best golf, he’s also playing HIS best golf. I’ve been an avid watcher of his career since he turned 16 and, in the past couple of years his putting has improved and so has his wedge game.
“He’s always been a powerful hitter. Technically, he’s also better than he’s ever been. He’s perfectly equipped.
“So the fact that he’s not won a Major for six years when he’s been winning all kinds of other tournaments brings a lot of expectation and pressure.
“He knows that he is not going to be defined as a golfer by how long he was at No.1, by the money that he’s won or by the number of tournaments he has won on the PGA or European Tour.
“It’s going to be defined by Majors – and that brings its own pressures.
“But if you look at the four Majors he already has to his name, he won those in a very short time period.
“He is a player who relies on confidence and there’s no reason – given where he is at the moment – that he should be anything other than very confident in himself and his own game.
“I don’t think it will be long before he is up there again. And when he wins that first one, it will be like a dam bursting open. We will see one and then a flood of them.” The major unknown will be 21-year-old Wolff, who turned pro just 12 months ago and already has one tour triumph under his belt.
Mcginley (below in Ryder Cup action with Mcilroy) added: “There are three young players who have all hit the scene at the same time with stellar CVS from their collegiate careers.
“Viktor Hovland, from Norway, Collin Morikawa from America and Wolff.
“They are all exciting, all hit the ground running and all have won tournaments in the short time since turning professional.
“Of the three of them, Wolff is the most unorthodox. He doesn’t swing the orthodox way, and he’s a very big hitter.
“He’s going to stand out because he is different. Once you see him play, it is very difficult to forget.”