#1
And you can be certain of one fact; that a new era has dawned in golf.
Rory Mcllroy’s US Open performance became a virtuoso ascendance to the world’s greatest stage. It was not a victory because to be victorious you need opponents and for the last week; Rory has walked alone.
You simply do not shoot a four round total of 16 under par at the US Open (you can rely on the USGA to make the set up at next years’ Open one of their most diabolical). It is a scoring record that may well never be broken.
Just two months ago, Mclleroy took a four shot overnight lead into the last round of the Masters before shooting a final round, 80. Most 21 year olds’ who would have to endure that kind of public capitulation, might never be heard from again. Not so, the young man from Northern Ireland. He walked with his head held high, and behaved like a perfect gentleman. When interviewed immediately following the round, he was polite, gracious and there was not one iota of self-pity. It was a display of maturity well beyond his years; but more importantly, it was the blueprint for the way that the game, should be played.
We had all already marveled at Mcllroy’s prodigious talent but it was after the Masters, that we hoped that this might be Golf’s new star. The brilliant Belfast meteor that is Mcllroy, is exactly that.
Here’s why:
Learning to win is a “process”. Mcllroy has had a share of the lead at some point in each of the last four Major Championships.
Mcllroy hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation in a US Open. He led from wire-to-wire and he won by 8 shots.
The great majority of European players who have played with Rory over the last few years universally agree that he has the greatest swing that they have ever seen. To quote 2010 US Open Graeme McDowell, “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen.” Or this from world #1 Luke Donald, “I think he has probably the most talent I’ve ever seen from a golfer.”
He has a head on his shoulders that is much older than his 22 years. “I felt like I got over the Masters pretty quickly, and I kept telling you guys that,” Mcllroy said at his press conference Sunday evening. “I don’t know if you believed me or not.” And this is the quote that he posted on his Twitter account the day after he shot 80 at Augusta “It’s repetition of affirmations that leads to belief, and once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen – Muhammad Ali”.
This is the first Major Championship win of in his career, which leaves him 17 behind Jack Nicklaus.
It will not be his last.
