Rory McIlroy - 4 Time Major Winner

Keano

Solid start for Rory this week. Currently -6

AGC

Flying it today

Mantis Toboggan

https://twitter.com/JustinRayGC/status/1009928830109315072?s=19

Happy4all

Not going to win it

Mantis Toboggan

https://twitter.com/RTEgolf/status/1010038214030217219?s=19

Strange one there from Rory.

Rikand

Tyson Fury wrote: »

https://twitter.com/RTEgolf/status/1010038214030217219?s=19

Strange one there from Rory.

If true its brilliant. He was a better player 5-10 years ago. Perhaps recent swing changes are what destroyed his wedge game

Shoots -6 and have to watch out for the tumbleweed in the thread :rolleyes:

galwaylad14

Delighted for him, great round and hopefully now he can kick on over the rest of the tournament. Seemed like his ball striking was back to its very best which is great to see.

dball

i see Harrington played well ( -4) not bad

AGC

Rikand wrote: »

If true its brilliant. He was a better player 5-10 years ago. Perhaps recent swing changes are what destroyed his wedge game

Have heard a couple of comments that he is saying he hasn’t swung the club as he wanted since the ankle injury. Must be recent comments and surprising if that is holding him back

Mantis Toboggan

https://twitter.com/JustinRayGC/status/1010666080065458177?s=19

Might need to go back to the way he putted in 2010 also.

LuckyGent88

He had a desperate 3 putt on the 18th last night. It was from less than 12 foot I’d say.

Also had a 10 foot putt for eagle on a par 5 and didn’t come remotely close to going in

Mantis Toboggan

4 rounds in the 60's for Rory but could have been so much better.

https://twitter.com/Sean_Emmet/status/1010965895181754375?s=19

Rikand

SG tee to green 1st
Driving accuracy 86th.

His rough game is excellent!

Russman

Rikand wrote: »

SG tee to green 1st
Driving accuracy 86th.

His rough game is excellent!

The problem with the modern game right there !!

Hitting fairways doesn't matter a f--k to the top guys anymore.

Mantis Toboggan

Russman wrote: »

The problem with the modern game right there !!

Hitting fairways doesn't matter a f--k to the top guys anymore.

Did you watch shinnecock last week?

Russman

Tyson Fury wrote: »

Did you watch shinnecock last week?

Fair point about Shinnecock, yet the winner was 55th in fairways hit, with 64%, but 2nd in driving distance at 318.3yds ? And they were some wide a$$ fairways

To be fair its not Rory's fault, or Koepka's, that its just the way the modern game has evolved. Its not going to change, the PGA Tour is an entertainment business, the people want birdies and lots of them.

davo10

Virtually all pros now fly the ball enormous distances off the tee, the advantage big hitters used to have has evaporated as technology and players physical fitness/strength has improved. Being in the rough per se is not too much of a hindrance to the players apart from the lack of spin on landing, it's where you are in the rough, the side of the fairway, whether there is something in front of them, whether they can see the pin and their preferred landing spot.

What now seperates winners from the also rans is their course management and short game, particularly putting. Being a big hitter with a great swing just means you are now a contender rather than a winner. Never has the adage "Drive for show, putt for dough" been more appropriate than when applied to McIlroy, and all the others. You can't blitz the field anymore with power alone, that's why I'm not as confident as others that he will add multiple majors to his 4, he has always been a streaky putter but his power hid that to an extent, it can't hide it now because there are 50 other big hitters in the field and his "streaks" in majors are less frequent, you can't just bash it round willy nilly (except at The Masters).

First Up

davo10 wrote: »

Virtually all pros now fly the ball enormous distances off the tee, the advantage big hitters used to have has evaporated as technology and players physical fitness/strength has improved. Being in the rough per se is not too much of a hindrance to the players apart from the lack of spin on landing, it's where you are in the rough, the side of the fairway, whether there is something in front of them, whether they can see the pin and their preferred landing spot.

What now seperates winners from the also rans is their course management and short game, particularly putting. Being a big hitter with a great swing just means you are now a contender rather than a winner. Never has the adage "Drive for show, putt for dough" been more appropriate than when applied to McIlroy, and all the others. You can't blitz the field anymore with power alone, that's why I'm not as confident as others that he will add multiple majors to his 4, he has always been a streaky putter but his power hid that to an extent, it can't hide it now because there are 50 other big hitters in the field and his "streaks" in majors are less frequent, you can't just bash it round willy nilly (except at The Masters).

In today's Irish Times it says that Rory missed 17 putts under ten feet last week. Shinnecock was another matter but anyone with less skill tee to green would be in danger of losing their card with those numbers.

davo10

First Up wrote: »

In today's Irish Times it says that Rory missed 17 putts under ten feet last week. Shinnecock was another matter but anyone with less skill tee to green would be in danger of losing their card with those numbers.

17 putts within 10 feet, wow, for a top pro that is really appalling. The irony of your post is that anyone who was a decent putter would have won with those tee to green numbers.

To put that into perspective, on the PGA Tour, McIllroy is ranked 146th in putting from 5-10 feet.

Mantis Toboggan

First Up wrote: »

In today's Irish Times it says that Rory missed 17 putts under ten feet last week. Shinnecock was another matter but anyone with less skill tee to green would be in danger of losing their card with those numbers.

Yep, made 10 putts of 27 from 5-10 feet.

Russman

Tyson Fury wrote: »

Yep, made 10 putts of 27 from 5-10 feet.

That is shockingly bad in all fairness.

I mean, the leader from 5-10 feet on the PGA tour makes 68% from that distance, imagine how good Rory'd be if he was only a slightly below average putter :eek:

Rugby123innow

Dbu wrote: »

I think its more to do with 'off field' activity than clubs
A year back playing full time on the Euro tour may help him, but alas that wont happen as not enough off field cash to be made over this side of the pond

Agreed

First Up

At it again today. He's not the only one missing putts but he's missing more than most.

prawnsambo

First Up wrote: »

At it again today. He's not the only one missing putts but he's missing more than most.

He was missing them all to the left until the last two. Not sure that means anythiing because it looks like sllight misreads rather than a problem with his stroke. But lots missing putts alright. All close misses. According to Ryan Fox, the pins are positioned on slight crests and other features that are making the reads very difficult. It's a real test of golf though. Rory is playing some great golf except for the putting, but he's not mssing those by much and gettiing the length right.

First Up

prawnsambo wrote: »

First Up wrote: »

At it again today. He's not the only one missing putts but he's missing more than most.

He was missing them all to the left until the last two. Not sure that means anythiing because it looks like sllight misreads rather than a problem with his stroke. But lots missing putts alright. All close misses. According to Ryan Fox, the pins are positioned on slight crests and other features that are making the reads very difficult. It's a real test of golf though. Rory is playing some great golf except for the putting, but he's not mssing those by much and gettiing the length right.

Two ways of looking at it; if he could make half of what he should, he'd be out of sight. Or - if he wasn't as good tee to green, he'd be selling Mars Bars and giving lessons to people like me.

prawnsambo

First Up wrote: »

Two ways of looking at it; if he could make half of what he should, he'd be out of sight. Or - if he wasn't as good tee to green, he'd be selling Mars Bars and giving lessons to people like me.

He's been unbelievable tee to green. Even out of position, he's made some brlliant recoveries. But the greens are foolng a lot of them. There's a reason that only one player got to 5 under. But you're right. The amount of genuine birdie chances he's had has been unreal.

slave1

Early on the putting misses were close, after that they were close but never going in

Dr Devious

It’s amazing that people still need statistics to see that a McIllroy is a very putter, a blind man can see that. Always was and always will be bar the occasional streak from time to time.

prawnsambo

Dr Devious wrote: »

It’s amazing that people still need statistics to see that a McIllroy is a very putter, a blind man can see that. Always was and always will be bar the occasional streak from time to time.

I can't stand the suspense. :pac: