When Rory McIlroy became the third golfer in history to score four Grand Slams in 2014 at the age of 25, nothing seemed to be able to stand in his way. Unfortunately, for 8 years, the counter of one of the greatest golfers of the “post Tiger Woods” era remains hopelessly blocked.
An anomaly that he tried to explain before the departure of his 52nd major.
Rory McIlroy, Pga
August 2014, at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Rory McIlroy wins for the third time in 4 weeks. The player from Hollywood, Northern Ireland, wins his 2nd PGA Championship, 3 weeks after triumphing at Royal Liverpool in The Open.
Between the two, “Rors” even had the luxury of gleaning the stage of the World Championships in Akron, Ohio. He is the indisputable world number 1 and his domination is total. No one suspects that this 4th major success will be the last, until today, of the Northern Irish prodigy.
When I won my last major in 2014, I had never heard of Collin Morikawa, I had never heard of Jon Rahm. Just over 7 years later, his Majors record would satisfy many of his rivals. In 27 tournaments played since his success in Kentucky in 2014, Rory has recorded 12 top 10s, and missed 6 cuts.
Twice he finished second. In 2018, two strokes behind Francesco Molinari at Carnoustie at the British Open, and this year at the Masters, at the cost of an incredible last round, which allowed him to come back within 3 strokes of Scottie Scheffler.
Only the victories are therefore missing. And during a stint on the BBC’s “5 Live Sport’s All About: The Open podcast” podcast, the 33-year-old did not escape the question that plagues all observers: How to explain this inability? to impose itself for eight years at the highest level? “I think I didn’t give myself enough chances,” McIlroy said.
I think I should have given myself more, more realistic chances. It’s a bit like in tournaments – the more you get into position, the more comfortable you are and sooner or later, by knocking on the door, it opens.
» For the current world number 7, despite 7 top 5, real missed opportunities are ultimately quite rare.
“I had a chance at Carnoustie in 2018, I was also in the last game with Patrick Reed earlier that year at Augusta.
At the US Open last year in Torrey Pines, I was tied for the lead with nine holes to play. I had a few chances, which I just failed to capitalize on. » In addition to failing to put himself in a sufficient position to win, McIlroy also believes that the average level is now much higher.
Tougher competition. “I think the players are getting stronger and stronger. When I won my last major in 2014, I had never heard of Collin Morikawa, I had never heard of Jon Rahm, a lot of these young people coming in play golf incredibly well.
I don’t have to beat five guys, there are 100, 120, even 140 guys every week that you try to beat and they’re all incredibly strong golfers. » It is true that Rory McIlroy has mainly benefited from the relative decline of Tiger Woods in the early 2010s and that he must now deal with the emergence of an extraordinary new generation of golfers.
