Rory and Matt showed Langer-style fortitude for bounce-back wins
Rory Mcilroy and Matt Fitzpatrick showed mental fortitude that Bernhard Langer would have been proud of last Sunday as they bounced back from Ryder Cup woes in emphatic fashion.
Mcilroy took the headlines with his one- shot victory over Open Champion, Collin Morikawa, at the CJ Cup in Nevada.
This came just three weeks after he had broken down in tears over his performance in Europe’s 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits.
Bu t in winning his first tournament after such massive disappointment, the Irishman took a leaf out of Langer’s book.
The German missed a sixfoot putt to retain the Ryder Cup for Europe in 1991, but won the German Masters the very next week.
Andrew Murray played in that tournament 30 years ago on the European Tour, and watched Rory’s struggles in Wisconsin while working for BBC Radio 5 Live. He wasthrilledattheturnaround. “For Rory to come bouncing back the way he did was nothing short of magnificent, and shows you how fickle the game is,” he told The Sunday Post.
“He also led the way in putting and to think for the first two days at Whistling Straits, he couldn’t hole anything.
“It was courageous and gutsy and puts two fingers up to the critics.
“That Singles win on the Sunday over Xander Schauffele was actually very important. It probably gave him no pleasure but he played so well and putted nicely.
“He just went out and played golf again, rather than playing golfswing. Most players don’t need to be bombarded with swing thoughts.
“Sir Nick Faldo needed four and five. But Nick Price, who worked with David Leadbitter at the same time, only needed one. That shows you that every golfer is different.
“And then last week, as we saw, when Rory putts well, there’s no one better.”
While Mcilroy was exorcising his demons in America, European team- mate Fitzpatrick had an outstanding week of his own as he claimed the Andalucia Masters.
That was his first event back having lost all three of his games at the Ryder Cup to leave him with the desperate record of played five, lost five, from his two appearances.
However, Murray believes that what happened in Spain is a far truer reflection of the Englishman’s ability.
“I felt for Matt atwhistling Straits, especially with his loss on the last which created America’s record victory,” he said.
“He is a fantastic player and virtually unbeatable on certain courses.
He showed that metronomic accuracy to win round a place like Valderrama.
“Matt is a very impressive individual and I’m sorry for him that he has to carry that record around.
“He is having a fantastic career and he will just be annoyed that he lost that final match and didn’t contribute to the team.
“But he will use it as a spur to make the team next time. Matt will play loads more Ryder Cups and he’ll bury that hatchet.”
Both Mcilroy and Fitzpatrick’s successes brought to mind Langer’s ultimate demonstration of mind over matter.
And it’s a tale which Murray still smiles about 30 years on.
“I remember chatting to Bernhard about that victory in Germany a week or so afterwards,” he recalls.
“Wh a t w a s so
impressive was that Bernhard had that same length putt on the 72nd hole to tie Australian Rodger Davis that he had missed at Kiawah. And then he had the same length on the first play- off hole – and he made them both.
“That takes huge mental fortitude. Bernhard wasn’t handed that title, he had to earn it.
“He was using a black Scotty Cameron prototype putter, and I asked him a couple of weeks later if there was any chance he could get me one.
“Bernhard told me he had six at home but he would only give me one if I used it!
“Six months later, I was playing in the Benson and Hedges down at St Mellion in Cornwall and he pulled one of these putters out of his car for me.
“I was basically a nobody pro, but he had remembered.
“I’ve still got that putter and my son, Tom, used it when he was out on Tour. It’s the same model that Jordan Spieth uses.
“I actually got it refurbed by Scotty Cameron last year.
“It must now be worth fortune!”