Shane McGrath on what Rory must change to be a master
McIlroy’s best chance of more majors lies in playing like his hero Ballesteros
MORE REMARKABLE than any of the shots he played in winning the green jacket, was the joylessness that attended the triumph of Patrick Reed.
On the greatest day of his career, perhaps the greatest moment he will ever enjoy as a sportsman, Reed greeted glory the way a man might acknowledge a neighbour he meets on the road.
He seemed pleased but the entire scene looked forced, as if everyone was trying hard. Reed was straining not to be objectionable, and the crowds around the 18th green at Augusta were trying to cheer as loud as they could for a man they were not backing four hours earlier.
When he stood on the first tee, his name was called and the thronged attendance cheered. But when the name of Rory McIlroy was announced, the noise was terrific.
American crowds love McIlroy and they love him more than Reed, whose outsized patriotism is the least of his interesting character quirks. This is partly down to Reed’s complicated past and his well-earned reputation for arrogance. But McIlroy is likeable, partly because he is an agreeable sort, but mostly because of how he plays the game.
At his best, he attacks golf courses with relish, seeing opportunity where others elect for safety, beguiled by adventure when his peers conform to safer instincts. The name Seve Ballesteros has been mentioned in connection with McIlroy this week. At the Masters in 1986, he led by three shots on the 14th tee.
Bogeys at 15 and 17 coincided with the legendary finish by Jack Nicklaus, his eagle on 16 followed by birdies at the 17th and 18th.
Ballesteros missed out on a third green jacket, and despite being still just 29 and wielding a prodigious talent, he would win only one more major, a third Open championship in 1988.
Like McIlroy, he was adored by the Augusta patrons. The Spaniard was the first European to win the Masters, in 1980, but their devotion derived from the sense of daring that was palpable every time he gripped a club. When Ballesteros succumbed to cancer in 2011, McIlroy commented, ‘Seve is and always will be what is great about the game of golf’.
There was more to the sentiment than easy platitude; McIlroy’s game, at its best, honours the playing legacy bequeathed by Ballesteros.
And it is that example that he must now pursue. Compared to his best days, McIlroy was a shrivelled husk for most of his final round at the Masters.
He looked hesitant and his play was uncertain. A missed eagle putt at the second has been scrutinised as the moment his day flipped, when the energy and ambition to chase down Reed calcified into fear and doubt.
One shot did not determine his fate. His entire afternoon was checked by caution. Recovery is possible, but whether it is to the extent that he wins the Masters or reaches double figures in major wins remains open to doubt.
But he can certainly rebound, and not only should Ballesteros be an example, he should be a milestone on the journey McIlroy must now undertake.
With his five majors, Ballesteros leads McIlroy by one, and further ahead is Nick Faldo who, with his six majors, is the most decorated European golfer of them all.
It is difficult to imagine McIlroy mustering the same enthusiasm for the Englishman that he does in memory of the Spaniard.
When his form dipped sharply in 2013, Faldo suggested McIlroy wasn’t working hard enough. ‘Nick should know how hard this game is at times,’ the younger man responded.
And it must seem a blinding puzzle to McIlroy today. He is crowded by bustling young talents, produced by the ruthless American collegiate system. He has changed his caddie and his clubs in recent years, as well as consulting widely for putting advice.
There is little left to do but trust that he can rediscover his potency in majors. Since winning his fourth in the USPGA at Valhalla in 2014, his best finish was a tie for fourth at the Masters the following April.
Last season, his best major result was a tie for seventh at Augusta, but he missed the cut at the US Open, tied for 41st at the Open and 22nd in the PGA.
His next opportunity is at Shinnecock Hills in New York for the US Open, starting on June 14.
Nine weeks today he could be contending for his fifth major in the final round.
It seems a fanciful prospect, but seeing past the obvious to the brilliant is what the true masters do.