McIlroy bid’s
RORY McILROY reckons he can freewheel his way to US Open glory now he’s learned how to find the fun in golf again thanks to his dad.
The four-time Major winner admits for a while he’d forgotten how to just relax and enjoy the game the way he used to during boyhood bounce games at his home course at Holywood on the outskirts of Belfast.
But his dad Gerry’s recent decision to join Seminole – an exclusive golf club near Rory’s Florida home – has revived their friendly family matches and sparked his interest in ticking a few more iconic courses off his bucket list.
That’s why the build-up to this week’s stern Major test at Shinnecock Hills hasn’t all been serious business, with visits to play nearby Friar’s Head, National and Garden City courses.
All beloved patches of Long Island’s prestigious portfolio of prime golfing real estate but none of it anywhere close to the scale of challenge that McIlroy and his 155 rivals will encounter today.
That doesn’t matter to McIlroy though. What is important is he comes into this week relaxed and swinging freely when the pressure builds and the going gets tough.
McIlroy said: “For maybe five or six years I never played fun golf. It was all to do with getting ready to play tournaments and I didn’t understand people who went out and played a lot.
“But since my dad became a member at Seminole and I was able to go over and play a lot of golf with him I really started to enjoy fun golf again and playing these different courses. It’s a