Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WATCH MAC ROR BACK
McDowell: Don’t write off McIlroy yet... he can win many more Majors
RORY McILROY will go on to become Europe’s most prolific Major winner, despite the drought which now extends to five years after his missed cut at Portrush.
It would have been unthinkable when McIlroy prevailed at the 2014 US PGA Championship to claim his fourth Major at the age of 25 that he would still be waiting for his fifth.
But compatriot Graeme McDowell believes McIlroy will rise again following the crushing disappointment of failing to make the weekend at his home Open.
McDowell said: “He won’t finish on four, he’ll win more – I’ve no doubt in my mind.
“I’ve huge belief in him that he’ll win soon and he’ll win several. Double digits is well within his capabilities.
“He’ll get unfairly criticised this week for not playing well, but he had a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
“This was always going to be a difficult week for him because he was the shining Irish light coming in here.
“Rory’s a megastar, and he was coming in here with the pressure of a nation on his shoulders and he was always going to feel it more than we did. I’m not making excuses for the guy – five years is a big gap for him. But he’s still a young man, he’s only 30, he’s in the shape of his life and mentally he’s in a great place.”
McIlroy has been criticised for not caring enough in his pursuit of Majors, but the reverse was true as Northern Ireland’s home hope.
The magnitude of the occasion clearly got to McIlroy on Thursday when he shot a ragged 79 and there was an insight into how much it all meant to him when he broke down in tears after his brilliant, but ultimately fruitless, secondround 65.
“I think Rory won himself a lot of fans, just for reacting in a human way,” ” said McDowell. “We’re not robots, we’re humans, we feel emotion and golf will test you to the absolute limit like no other sport.
“To watch him break down a little, it felt like it legitimised the tears in my eyes on the tee on Thursday morning. I was wondering what was wrong with me then, but, when I saw Rory last night, I understood that it means a huge amount to us all to be out here at Portrush.”
With Darren Clarke also missing the cut, McDowell was the one Northern Irishman to make the third round and he got a rousing ovation at the treacherous Par 4 final hole after drilling a pinpoint approach.
It brought a fifth birdie in a fine round of 68, which took him to two under.
“The 18th’s been pretty cruel to all three Northern Irish lads this week – 7-7-7 is OK if you’re on the slots, but not so good on the 18th hole at Portrush, like for me, Darren and Rory,” said McDowell. “It was nice to make birdie there today.”
Rory came here
with the pressure of a nation on him