McIlroy playing like the champion he is
After a brilliant show at the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Match Play Championship last week, I have no doubt that Rory McIlroy can double up this week at the Players Championship.
That’s what he has been very good at recent times. He tends to get on a roll and backs up one good performance with another. He did that several times last year and I am expecting him to repeat what he did at Bridgestone and the PGA Championship in successive weeks in 2014.
The win at TPC Harding Park was a complete one for Rory. Some people may say he benefited from the revamped format of the Match Play, which gives players a better chance of qualifying for the round of 16, but I’d disagree. For the simple reason that he was 7-0 for the week.
Not only did Rory not lose a single match, he either dominated, or fought like the champion that he is. Although he was taken to the 22nd hole in a close match with the resurgent Paul Casey, my favourite stretch was when he made birdie-birdie-eagle on the last three holes to beat the solid Jim Furyk on the 18th hole.
And in the final, he never looked like losing. Gary Woodland should have been a worthy competitor, because he is one of the few players on the Tour who can match Rory’s phenomenal distance off the tee, but his game was just not there in the 18 holes that mattered most. He should have taken advantage of two three-putts from Rory early in the match and, once he let that golden opportunity go, the world No. 1 was never going to look back.
Large greens
The TPC Sawgrass course this week is one on which Rory hasn’t won yet, but he seems quite comfortable. He has had a few top-10 finishes there.
It is a typical Pete Dye course, where if you are playing well, you can score very well, but if your game is even slightly off key, you will struggle massively. The key is to drive the ball well and that is something that Rory always does. The other part is to putt well on the large greens with severe borrows, and that is another part of the game he has been very comfortable with lately.
His greatest threats will be Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose and Furyk. These are some of the guys who are extremely good from tee to green. Henrik is struggling with his health a bit, but he is phenomenal when it comes to hitting greens in regulation. Furyk is solid overall, Rose is a great driver and Spieth is a player who does everything well.
The European Tour is in Mauritius for the Afr Asian Bank Mauritius Open, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian and Sunshine Tours. I would have loved to played the inaugural event but, as I mentioned before, I am recuperating from my shoulder injury and aiming to get back on the golf course next week for the Spanish Open.