Congressional Rors

It was a laugher. The 111th US Open held for the third time at Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course produced one of the most lop-sided victories in the history of the illustrious tournament, and crowned a champion who has now been dubbed the heir apparent to Tiger. Rory McIlroy’s record setting 16-under-par 268 was the most impressive victory in the US Open since Tiger obliterated the field by 15 strokes in 2000. McIlroy’s wire to wire victory boasted rounds of 65-66-68-69, and more impressively, only 4 over par holes the entire week! But is it fair?

No I’m not questioning if Rory versus the field is fair because obviously it is only his second career Tour victory and first career major. What I’m questioning is the media blitz that is crowning him as the next Tiger. The quotes from players like Padraig Harrington all but guaranteeing his ascent to the top and eventual breaking of Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major championship record. And although he is the same age as Jack when he won his first title, please remember that McIlroy is the same kid who crumbled on the back nine on Sunday at the Masters, firing an 80 and blowing a 4-stroke 54-hole lead!

I’m not saying that McIlroy doesn’t have the potential and game to get to that Tiger-esque domination, but also take note that at this point in Tiger’s career, he had already won over 20 PGA Tour events! He looked like an unstoppable force and it was only a matter of ‘when’ not a matter of ‘if’ he was going to break Nicklaus’ major record. Between knee and Achilles injuries, pancake waitresses, pornstars and his wife taking a nine-iron to his grill (allegedly) his world is currently in shambles. But let me quickly point out that Tiger is sitting on 14 majors, only four shy of tying Jack, and a whopping 13 majors ahead of Rory!

I’m not saying Tiger will break any major records, but if healthy why doesn’t he have a chance? What I do know right now is that I would put money on Tiger passing Jack before Rory passing Jack. Nothing against this outstanding young man, in fact, I’m a huge Rory fan, but what I am essentially trying to say is we need to curtail all of this Rory-Jack-Tiger conversation for a bit. I would just like to see him win a few more majors before this conversation arises. Sure, he’s a pro’s pro with arguably the best swing in golf, amazing maturity for his age, and a personality and swagger people tend to gravitate toward. But there’s a lot of majors to win and a lot of young talent and potential looming for Mr. McIlroy.

Ask Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Jason Day, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler, Luke Donald, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney, Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Ian Poulter, Molinari’s Squared, Adam Scott, Steve Stricker and Justin Rose about wanting a major. Have you heard of Matteao Manassaro or Ryo Ishikawa? What would Sergio Garcia do to get a major? Is Phil Mickelson done winning majors? Or Charl Schwartzel? Or Graeme McDowell? Or Martin Kaymer? How about Louis Oosthuizen, YE Yang, Zach Johnson, Geoff Ogilvy or even Angel Cabrera? What about Tiger Woods for that matter? My point is that competition is so strong right now and there is so much parity on the PGA Tour and worldwide that nobody’s game is safe.

Sure, I would be extremely surprised and disappointed if McIlroy does not cash in on another major championship. I don’t even think it’s out of the question that he’ll win another one this season, but the talk needs to stop. I want to see how Rory handles the pressure of going for number two…three...four etc. How he deals with the stress of success and winning or disappointment and losing. And more importantly how he deals with the impending return of Tiger. To me all of that is in question and we may get some answers next month at Royal St. George’s. What I do know, is that McIlroy’s total and utter domination of a US Open track warranted talk of greatness, but will that quiet confidence he seems to carry, continue to keep that spring in his step?

This is a story that will unfold over the next decade and I’m more than ready to watch what this young man is capable of achieving. We may see even more of those ‘Congressional Rors’ at future major venues. He’ll get his opportunity at Green Jacket redemption next April at Augusta.

PS – Welcome American’s Robert Garrigus and Kevin Chappell to The Masters on CBS on the strength of each of their T3 finishes!

Where in the World Are...

...Rory's sticks???

Apparently on the way out of Augusta Rory McIlroy charted a plane to Kuala Lumpur for this week's Euro Tour stop. You can trust those private charters, right? Well apparently not as upon landing in Kuala Lumpur McIlroy learned that his golf clubs have come up missing. I know what your thinking...they came up missing on Sunday at Augusta too right? Shame on you. Anyway, I am taking theories on where the sticks may be.

Oh and one more extra punch in the face...A Green Jacket clad Charl Schwartzel was a fellow passenger on the plane. Coincidence???

The ‘Rory’ing 20’s

In a week where Tiger Woods non-Augusta bubblicious return to the Tour was the headline, by tournaments end a new young up-and-coming sensation was all anyone could talk about. Since his rousing entrance as a pro and his 2009 win in Dubai, there has been a tremendous amount pressure on 20 year old Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy to not only contend in ‘The States,” but win. And who would have ever thought that after a mediocre first 36 in the Quail Hollow Championship, McIlroy would end up stealing the show.

Tiger Woods was the talk of Charlotte Thursday morning, but was unable to back anything up as he fired a very pedestrian two-over-par 74. He slept on a nine shot deficit after Bo Van Pelt’s amazing opening 65, but still few were skeptical about his chances of contending. And then he hit the back nine on Friday and something went insanely wrong. After turning in one over 37, Woods dug himself a deeper hole with two bogies on the first three holes on the back nine, and was sitting at +5. After putting disasters on the easy 14th and 15th leading to back to back doubles, he had only 3 holes to play and was all of a sudden +9. He finished with a 43 on the back and missed the cut by a whopping 8 strokes. This performance marked only the 6th time in Tiger’s professional career that he missed a cut, which in itself is astounding.

With the Tiger exit it put World #2 Phil Mickelson in the driver seat as he sat fully in contention entering the weekend. And as the sun went down Saturday he was tied for second with Davis Love III only two shots off the pace of tour veteran Billy Mafair’s lead at nine-under-par. There were a lot of other contenders still in the mix entering the final round with guys like Van Pelt and JJ Henry along with global stars Angel Cabrera, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim and red hot Rory McIlroy. Rory’s Saturday 66 brought him from on the cut line all the way to the top 10 and oddly enough into contention. But his Sunday, was stuff of legends.

He got out pretty fast on the outward nine posting four birdies on his way to carding a masterful 32 and jumping further into the mix as Mayfair and Love struggled. But no one had any idea that this jaw dropping 32 was just a warm-up act for McIlroy’s inward nine. Although posting level on the par five 10th, he picked up two birdies on the first five back nine holes to take a one shot lead on the par five 15th tee. After a crushing a 352-yard drive McIlroy pounded a five-iron up the hill 206 yards nestling up three feet from the cup. This eagle catapulted him to the lead and although he drove it into the trap on 16, responded with a nine-iron chop out to six feet and another birdie moving him to five-under on the back nine and 14-under for the tournament. But his act still wasn’t done quite yet.

After nearly holing a 50-foot putt on the intimidating par three 17th, he stepped to the 18th tee with a very comfortable lead, considering the difficulty of the 18th. After finding the fairway with his drive McIlroy did as his caddy would want and stay away from the creek on the pin side and hit a conservative iron to the middle of the green to 45 feet from the cup. Cue his victory walk up the hill. After an amazing greeting from the Charlotte faithful and a tapestry of superlatives from my hommie Jim Nantz he lined up a birdie putt that would give him a back nine 30 and break the course record by two shot. As he struck the putt up the hill it started to curl left toward the cup and had perfect pace as it turned in the last three feet and disappeared into a backdrop of a roaring gallery. This putt gave McIlroy a course record 62, a four shot win over Mickelson and his first career professional win in the US despite making the cut on the number on Friday afternoon. What a week!

Amidst the excitement of Tiger and the contention of Phil, one of the most electric young players in the world made his mark. On the same day that 18 year old sensation Ryo Ishikawa fired a blistering 58 on the Japanese Tour in route to victory, the soon to be 21 year old (Tuesday is his birthday) would take that big leap in the big boys Tour. As if there it was in question anyway, he will take his Masters invite for 2011 and will move forward this week to Tour’s 5th Major The Players Championship. I’m sure he may sneak in a quick couple of shots at a pub in Ponte Vedre Beach. One for his birthday and one for his big victory.