Rory needs rest to rekindle magic

The Fedex Cup resumes this week and at the halfway stage we find proceedings dominated by America’s gilded three — Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas — with defending champion Rory McIlroy miles off the pace and saying he can’t wait for the season to end.

how sad to see Rory in this situation. At heart, the Northern Irishman is a golf geek, the pro who knows more about the game’s history than any of his peers, the one who watches the sport on television even when he’s not playing. The last thing he should be feeling is that he would rather be somewhere else.

During the long break he’s taking from next month, as he finally gives his body sufficient time to fully heal following a series of irritating rib-related injuries, second on the priority list has to be sifting through his many obligations and ensuring that, in future, he plays only when he wants to.

Rekindling his love of the game is as important going forward as the restoration of his health.