Thought for the Day
Never accept a drink from an urologist
Youth is wasted on the young
It was Lee Trevino, inevitably, who came up with a quote that kept repeating itself in my head as I watched young Rory stroll to a stunning US Open victory. The Merry Mexican once hung on for a win in which he had led from start to finish and was congratulated on successfully implementing his strategy. He said: ‘No, my game plan was to get so far ahead that I could choke like a dog and still win.’ Rory of course, to everyone’s delight, not least my own, didn’t choke at all and in light of his experience at the Masters, that really is almost too remarkable for words. It was Ernest Hemingway who famously defined guts as being ‘grace under pressure’ and if he is to be believed then McIlroy has guts in spades.
I was reminded of another quote, which came from an American journalist in advance of the final round of the 1993 Open Championship at Royal St George’s. Greg Norman, who had had more disappointments in majors than I have had with four-foot putts, was leading going into the final round, and had people of the quality of Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els – all in their pomp – snapping at his heels. When asked what he thought of Norman’s chances, the journalist replied: ‘In light of his past, it is far too early to make any predictions for his future.’ The fact that the Australian went on to play what I still remember as the best round of golf I have ever seen, is a memory that refuses to dim with the passing of years.
Remembering that quote, I feared for Rory going into the last day, thinking that if he made an early bogey and one of the chasers rattled in a couple of birdies, it could all go horribly wrong. But from the moment he rolled in that putt for a three at the first, I was able to relax and enjoy the ride. His round wasn’t the equivalent of Norman’s because there were no close challengers, but it had enough potential for disaster that it was nevertheless a quite astonishing display.
Despite, in the wider scheme of things being of no importance, sport has an unparalleled ability to produce drama, and it does so by offering the closest examination not only of an athlete’s ability but of their nerve, their character or guts. You are not, at the age of 22, supposed to display all the sang froid and character of a veteran, especially just eight weeks after an experience that would leave most people crushed. And yet Rory did. Any major win for someone of such tender years is worthy of all the accolades it will surely receive but it is the manner of the victory that sets it apart.
The inevitable outlandish predictions that McIlroy is now the man to take over from Tiger as the most likely to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’ major tally should be treated with extreme prejudice, as we need to remind ourselves that this win is still only his third of a four-year pro career. But I, for one, can’t wait to see how he handles the aftermath of such a momentous victory, particularly next month in The Open. In two majors this year we have seen 144 holes played, and Rory has led for 135 of them. Sheer class.
What’s the secret?
Although it was his drive at the 10th hole at Augusta that started the collapse, it was clear that the real problem for Rory lay with his putter. And as we all know, he has been subsequently working with Dave Stockton on improving his performance with the flat stick. I don’t know what sort of juju Stockton has as a teacher but I want some.
Fair and generous
The one part of watching golf events in America I detest is the asinine bellows from (admittedly a minority) of fans, who scream things like ‘Get in the hole!’ or ‘You’re the man!’ And I have always felt that US galleries wear their partisanship as if it were something to be proud. But I have to admit that the spectators at Congressional were extraordinarily warm and supportive of Rory, especially when you consider that their national championship was about to be carried off by a foreigner for the second successive year. This hasn’t happened since 1925/26, when the winners were Willie MacFarlane and Tommy Armour respectively, who both lived full time in America anyway.
Quote of the Week
In no other game must immense strength go hand in hand with extreme delicacy
Arnold Haultain