Rory’s golden reminder of what real golf looks like

Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have been the most strident critics of the Saudibacked LIV circuit, so it was only fitting they should choose the week of its launch to conduct an epic duel at the Canadian open on Sunday and demonstrate what golf at its best really looks like.

Emerging victorious on this occasion, McIlroy took particular satisfaction in moving one ahead of the Saudi stooge-in-chief Greg Norman with 21 PGA Tour victories to his name. In the last 50 years only three players have reached that total at a younger age than 33-year-old McIlroy and all were born in the USA: Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

‘It’s a day I’ll remember for a long time and one of the reasons for that is going past Greg, that definitely provided extra motivation,’ admitted the ever-candid McIlroy, who has never made any secret of the fact the Marmite Australian is not on his Christmas card list.

‘The guy who is leading that other tour that took place across the pond, I was tied with him and I wanted to get one ahead of him. And I did that. Just a little sense of pride in that one.’

The arch-traditionalist seems to have made it his mission to do all he can to help save golf from itself and you only had to see the way he was embraced by the Canadian fans to appreciate that all right-thinking golf fans are in his corner all the way. After Tiger Woods, McIlroy must now be the most popular golfer on the planet.

What was most encouraging about McIlroy’s final round 62 to beat the new PGA champion was how good he was with a wedge in his hands. Previously his weakest point, it was his strongest on this day as nearly every one that he struck danced around the hole.

‘ It’s a big step forward for me, something that I probably could not have done previously,’ confessed McIlroy (right).

on to Brookline, then, and another attempt to end his majors drought. The last player to win the week before a Grand Slam and then go on to claim the major as well? Why, that would be rory, and his last victory in one of the four big ones at the PGA in 2014.