ROR TALENT
I saw McIlroy tame Kiawah... he has the shots – and now the form – to win here again, says 2012 runner-up Lynn
RORY McILROY will win the USPGA title at Kiawah Island again this week – and you can put your house on it.
That is the prediction of David Lynn, runner-up to the Northern Ireland star in South Carolina in 2012 and now a property developer.
McIlroy won his second Major by eight shots back then and the world No.7 showed a return to his old form last weekend when he triumphed at the Wells Fargo Championship – his first title for 18 months.
And Lynn, who retired in 2014 after McIlroy won his last Major, is now backing the 32-year-old to ride the wave to another victory on the Atlantic Coast.
The former world No.34 said: “You are hard pushed to look past Rory – he is an obvious pick. He has obviously got very fond memories there – he knows how to play the place – and he is on form.
“When he is on his game, Rory is undoubtedly in the top three in the world – if not the top. He has got length, he has got control, he can do whatever he wants with the golf ball.
“I think given how it played last time, certainly if the wind is up, it does suit European players. But Rory is world class – he can play on any course.
“And it would be good for the game if he starts winning Majors again. He is still young – he has a lot of time on his side to win more.”
Strong winds blew
McIlroy to a second-round 75 in 2012 but the then curly-headed 23-year-old, played his final two rounds in an incredible 11 under.
Lynn (right) added: “I shot a few 68s over the weekend in quite challenging winds which catapulted me through the field and I was still eight shots behind at the end. He played some serious golf to get that score.”
Lynn revealed he had an unusual build-up to his best Major performance.
The 47-year-old added: “Believe it or not, I had
bought a new house four weeks prior and didn’t play for a month to protect my ranking to get into the PGA.
“I spent that time grafting around the house, in the garden and did very little practice because my game felt nice.
“It is not how the textbook tells you how you’re supposed to do it.” After playing a season on the US Tour, Lynn hung up his clubs at the end of 2014. The
Wigan Athletic fan said: “I know it says I retired because of tendonitis, but I didn’t. I did have tendonitis but I just decided to stop. “I’d just fallen out of love with the game a long time before then. I enjoyed playing in America in 2013. But then again, 42 weeks away from home, I was foaming at the mouth.” Lynn is now a serious businessman and his Lynn
Homes company has just built, and sold, a 38-home development in Immingham, Lincolnshire.
He added: “That has been fantastic – almost like a golfing journey when you look back.
“Taking a piece of land with no planning to now selling out.
“The site was named The Approach and five houses were named after different courses around the UK: Wentworth, Turnberry, Muirfield, Sunningdale and The Belfry.”