A mixed bag but signs are there to be positive
PAUL McGINLEY and Rory McIlroy go way back. They were captain and player respectively on the Britain and Ireland team in the Seve Trophy victory in 2009 and forged an alliance which led to McIlroy backing McGinley as Europe’s 2014 Ryder Cup captain.
At Gleneagles, McIlroy was McGinley’s commander-in-chief on the course, contributing two wins and two halves to sign off a season where he claimed two majors, a WGC title and was golf’s number one.
No one is better qualified to make a professional assessment of where McIlroy’s game is right now, and where he needs to get to, than McGinley Ahead of the Irish Open this week, and the season’s remaining majors, The Open at Carnoustie (July 19-22) and the USPGA at Bellerive in St Louis (Aug 912), McGinley believes McIlroy needs ‘a little space.’ So far, 2018 has been a mixed bag for McIlroy. He has chalked up a win on the PGA Tour, and has two runner-up finishes and a third place. He was also in the last group at The Masters on Sunday.
On the flip side, McIlroy missed the cut in two of his five biggest events, The Players and the US Open.
‘I think it’s been disappointing in the two majors this year that he hasn’t come through but only two players in the world this year, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed, have more ranking points than Rory,’ said McGinley.
‘I think his work is bearing fruit, if you look at the big picture.’
Yet, there has been a stall on the major front since that summer of summers in 2014.
‘The quality of competition has increased in last four years,’ acknowledged McGinley.
‘Rory used to stand alone as the best driver in the world, I can think of two or three guys as long and straight as Rory, such as Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, so the extra gear he had in that regard is gone.
‘No one is more aware of that than Rory. No one is more frustrated than Rory that he hasn’t won another major.
‘We have to be patient and look at the big picture. Only two guys in the game won more majors at 29 than Rory, and they are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods,’ he pointed out.’He’s in very high company there. We’ve got to give him a little space and see where he goes in next few years.’
Could Ballyliffin, where he is Irish Open host for a fourth and final time, be the springboard for a summer assault on majors?
‘His record on links course is not as good as it is on inland soft courses which is something he’s going to have to add to his armoury.
‘He’s missed Irish Open cuts on links courses (Royal County Down, Portstewart), but there is no reason he can’t play them to a high standard as he grew up on links courses.
‘Ball control is the key to playing links course and Rory has that ability.
‘A lot of it is about confidence so a good performance at an Irish Open on a links course would be good for him to kick on mentally for an assault at The Open.’