What does this win do for Rory?

[Deleted member 1147]

The difference is all about putting.

Many players have played brilliantly tee-green, but not holed enough putts, and therefore not won.
Rory holed the putts this week, and that was the different between winning or coming close.

Some weeks they hole 'em, some weeks they don't.
This was Rory's week when he did.

 

[Ethan]

Rory is an incredibly naturally talented player, so if he can find the mindset and motivation, he can deliver on it. Unlike some players, I think being too focussed is not good for him, he needs a slightly more relaxed mood.

This win gets a small monkey off his back and could set up a strong end of year/start of next (OK, I know it is a "wraparound" season). Augusta will always be there in the background, getting closer and louder as we get through the winter. I reckon he will crack it one day. 2022 - who knows?

 

[slowhand]

I promise I won’t mention the Masters (again) but how important is this win for Rory?

Just read some of his quotes eg ‘I just want to be me etc’ and he says he wants to simplify things and just get on with it a bit more with less tinkering…

Some will say it’s just a win in a limited field in the desert but is hopefully the start again of some better stuff. When he said at the start of the week ‘if I can play my best, I’m the best in the world’ I cringed a bit knowing how people would interpret it, brilliant that he’s backed it up so quickly

Great to see him win again, now level with Greg Norman for PGA Tour wins

What struck me was the way he managed his final round. At the beginning he knew he had to go out and make birdies, which he did, but once he got in front with the eagle at 14, even with Morikawa's own eagle at 18, he knew all he had to do was not make any silly mistakes. I know a lot of commentators we questioning why he wasn't taking driver when it's arguably his best club, but IMO he didn't need to. He just need to keep hitting fairways and greens, and he knew he could rely on his putter. A lot of the holes his landing zone with the fairway wood was bigger than that with the driver, so he had a much larger margin for error. Playing that way may have cost him a couple of birdies, but it took bogey out of the equation on the last 4 holes. I dare say had he needed to, he would have been more aggressive on 18, but there was no need.

I wonder how much of this course management was down to Harry Diamond? We saw how level-headed he is at Quail Hollow, where arguably he won the tournament for Rory, so I suspect that a lot of the conversations on the tee were "You don't need to hit driver, boss. Just knock a 3-wood down the fairway"

 

[TigerBear]

Would love to see Rory win another major but I think there are younger and better players out there now.

Great win for him but is it another false dawn like his win at the Canadian Open?

 

[Wilson]

Fingers crossed he'll use it as a springboard to a win at Augusta! Seen some conflicting rumours that he's ditched Pete Cowan, and is back with Michael Bannon only.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He won’t win another Major, Phil, unless he can find a way of stringing together four rounds under pressure. With the odd exception he has not been able to do that for a long, long time.

He has been able to do that 4 times already - he has the ability and can put the rounds together

 

[Jimaroid]

A few years ago people said Tiger could never win another major as he couldn't compete with the younger generation. Those people were wrong.

Rory's going to have chances to win majors again. After all he is only 32 and you don't need to be young to win them, all he needs to do is be in contention on Sundays and one will come to him.

 

[rksquire]

He won’t win another Major, Phil, unless he can find a way of stringing together four rounds under pressure. With the odd exception he has not been able to do that for a long, long time.

He's won 2 decent tournaments in a calendar year, or if you like one last season and one on his first outing this year. Imagine 90% of golfers would swap with him. He's been about a long time, and it's easy to assess that his career is on the downward trend but only he can decide that...... seen this over at CBS and maybe puts things in perspective:

*At age 32, McIlroy has 20 PGA Tour wins and four majors. At the exact same age nearly 20 years ago, Phil Mickelson -- who I believe is one of the 10 best golfers in the history of the game -- had 21 PGA Tour wins and no majors.
* Jason Day (who is a year older than McIlroy) and Brooks Koepka (who is a year younger) -- both former No. 1 players in the world -- have a combined 20 PGA Tour wins and five majors.

For the record Phil Mickelson has 45 PGA wins and 6 Majors...... there's really no reason to doubt McIlroy's capability of adding titles or Majors other than he achieved so much early on and hasn't recently lived up to his own high standards.

There is a difference in winning a single major (Rose, Willet, Garcia) and winning multiple majors, and what it takes. He has what it takes, because he has done it. Is he in the mix? Certainly as I look at British / Irish players and European players you'd have to think he remains one of the best bets at this moment in time. I'd personally place him behind Rahm and would consider Hovland, Hatton, and at a push, possibly Lowry as players with ability and temperament to possibly do it, but a good bit behind both Rahm and McIlroy. However, there's a list of others (mainly American) that shows how hard it is - Morikawa, DJ, Thomas, Cantlay, BDC, and Spieth (similar to McIlroy in lots of ways) along with Smith and Xander as being close to it......ironically, I think the one he hasn't won, is the one he has the best chance of winning.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

He won’t win another Major, Phil, unless he can find a way of stringing together four rounds under pressure. With the odd exception he has not been able to do that for a long, long time.

I'd be very surprised if he didn't win another major. It's quite possible that he won't, there are so many top players with not much between them and there are only 4 opportunities per season, but I don't think there should be any doubt that he's good enough.

 

[pokerjoke]

I’m in the camp that he will win multiple majors still,however never at Augusta.

 

[Wilson]

He's won 2 decent tournaments in a calendar year, or if you like one last season and one on his first outing this year. Imagine 90% of golfers would swap with him. He's been about a long time, and it's easy to assess that his career is on the downward trend but only he can decide that...... seen this over at CBS and maybe puts things in perspective:

*At age 32, McIlroy has 20 PGA Tour wins and four majors. At the exact same age nearly 20 years ago, Phil Mickelson -- who I believe is one of the 10 best golfers in the history of the game -- had 21 PGA Tour wins and no majors.
* Jason Day (who is a year older than McIlroy) and Brooks Koepka (who is a year younger) -- both former No. 1 players in the world -- have a combined 20 PGA Tour wins and five majors.

For the record Phil Mickelson has 45 PGA wins and 6 Majors...... there's really no reason to doubt McIlroy's capability of adding titles or Majors other than he achieved so much early on and hasn't recently lived up to his own high standards.

There is a difference in winning a single major (Rose, Willet, Garcia) and winning multiple majors, and what it takes. He has what it takes, because he has done it. Is he in the mix? Certainly as I look at British / Irish players and European players you'd have to think he remains one of the best bets at this moment in time. I'd personally place him behind Rahm and would consider Hovland, Hatton, and at a push, possibly Lowry as players with ability and temperament to possibly do it, but a good bit behind both Rahm and McIlroy. However, there's a list of others (mainly American) that shows how hard it is - Morikawa, DJ, Thomas, Cantlay, BDC, and Spieth (similar to McIlroy in lots of ways) along with Smith and Xander as being close to it......ironically, I think the one he hasn't won, is the one he has the best chance of winning.

Ref Mickelson, at McIlroy's age, he didn't have any Majors....

 

[Swango1980]

As has been pointed out, McIlroy is only 32. He has gone through purple patches before, and almost been unstoppable. The last great run just before Covid kicked in, and I think the break in the game, then the return to no fans, and becoming a dad has probably all contributed to ending that purple patch. By his standards, he has generally struggled. Maybe he needs that buzz from the fans, and maybe he needs to find a way of getting that balance between career and being a father.

However, it is easy to see him going through more purple patches in the next 10-15 years. Periods where he'll be a force to be reckoned with. Put the likes of Rahm and Dustin under pressure, and maybe they will not be going through their own purple patches at the time. During these periods, he could quite easily win more majors. The Masters will be the most difficult as there is that extra mental barrier, but I could see him winning several more majors in his career. Despite all his obvious problems and bad runs of form that are well documented, he still crops up with amazing rounds and being in contention from time to time. Lesser players often drop off the face of the planet

 

[Imurg]

As someone said on Twitter......

Can someone make Rory cry about 3 weeks before Augusta please......

 

[Voyager EMH]

Imagine a player. He wins a major at 25 and a major at 45. In the intervening 20 years he wins just 2 majors and the odd comp now and again.
He would go down in history as a truly great player who won 4 majors, would he not?

How does Rory compare with my imaginary truly great player, at the moment?

 

[larmen]

Rory can win tour events which are a low scoring competition. But when they struggle for beating par then he doesn’t seem to be the guy to bet on to win.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Rory has 1 fewer PGA tour win and 4 more majors than Mickelson at Rory's current age.
Rory is arguably a better player, so there is nothing to stop him going on a run.

If Rory can keep his putting somewhere near the top of the strokes gained statistics. He will be almost impossible to beat.

 

[timd77]

If we’re still having this conversation in 8-9 years, then his best probably will be behind him. But you’re not telling me that a player with his ability won’t win many more tournaments and a major or 2. I’ll be flabbergasted if he doesn’t add to his major haul, he’s just too good. Because he shot to fame so young, it’s easy to forget that he’s only 32, still go some great years ahead of him.

What people seem to forget is that we’re in a bit of purple patch of top players at the moment, and only 1 person can win each event. So to go 6 months without a win isn’t as bad as is being made out.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I bet DJ must be worried knowing that he’s too old to win now, after all he is older than Rory by a few years.

 

[MarkT]

As someone said on Twitter......

Can someone make Rory cry about 3 weeks before Augusta please......

that’s a great shout, let’s back the EurAsia Cup back on the calendar in mid March and get a good stuffing from the Korean women

 

[BubbaP]

"What does this win do for Rory?"
Stop all the speculation about him.



Nah, thought not ?