Lumbered with the burden of being labeled “golf’s next big thing” Rory McIlroy’s breakthrough PGA Tour victory on Sunday could not come soon enough for a man yet to celebrate his 21st birthday.
“I got to seventh in the world at the start of the year and I’m thinking, ‘if I’m the seventh best golfer in the world I should be competing,’” McIlroy told reporters after registering a stunning four-stroke victory at the Quail Hollow Championship.
“I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, which you shouldn’t. Sometimes you need to sit back and [realize] you’re doing pretty well and just put things into perspective a little bit,” he said.
PHOTO: AFP
Despite possessing a wealth of talent, the Northern Irishman had only one professional victory to his name prior to this week, last year in Dubai, before he blew away most of the world’s best players with a magnificent closing 36 holes.
A final round 10-under-par 62 was a perfect way to break his US duck and lift the self-imposed pressure in one fell swoop, completing a rite of passage that fellow professional Padraig Harrington claims is a must for any aspiring great.
“There’s an awful lot of pressure on him,” three-time major winner Harrington said of McIlroy. “At home, no matter how he does, the focus is on him all the way through Europe.”
“When he plays in Europe he’s a big star and when you’re not winning, you’re not delivering and it becomes a burden,” Harrington said.
“It’s amazing the difference when you get a win. He will be a lot more comfortable with who he is, a lot more patient,” he said.
Harrington was speaking after Ryo Ishikawa shot a closing 58, the lowest score ever on a major international tour, to win the Crowns tournament in Japan, but before McIlroy had won.
Asked who he thought was the more impressive of the two, the Irishman gave the edge to Ishikawa but felt a victory for McIlroy could change his opinion.
“To be honest, it’s about winning. Ryo’s well ahead of the others but if Rory wins here today, different story,” Harrington said.
“It’s very hard when you throw someone out of their comfort zone [and a] win over here for Rory would be massive,” he said.
“Winning in Japan or Europe, that’s very important too, but to be a world beater they’ve got to leave their comfort zone and win, and if Rory wins today, that’s what he’s done,” Harrington said.
McIlroy could have easily missed out on his maiden US victory after struggling through the first two rounds before an eagle on the 16th hole on Friday allowed him to make the cut with nothing to spare.
“That was the most important shot of the year,” he said of the four-iron he struck to within six feet of the cup.
“I said yesterday, that it could have been the turning point of my season but I think today I’ve confirmed that,” McIlroy said.
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