Rory McIlroy - 4 Time Major Winner

FixdePitchmark

by the way - Rory looks set for a great season.

He also refreshingly fast - compared with these other clowns around these days.

Like to remind people - would you rather watch Rory or Dechambmabeubollix.

Remind me

ligerdub wrote: »

Using the British Masters as a comparison is weak. The national open for people from England is the Open Championship.......and they sure don't miss that one by choice.

The British Masters wasn't played for a few years and doesn't have the same prestige and heritage to Brits as the Irish open does to the Irish. There used to be a ton of tour events played in England, there's only 3 now, maybe 2. The flagship regular event in that regard is the BMW in Wentworth.

You can't compare a major Championship where a large % do not qualify, it is also not the 'English' Open.

Players who have been the face of the British Masters do not play in it now, that was my point. You have a player like Rose missing multiple events to suit his schedule and plan and that's what you have to do.

It's becoming increasingly difficult to root for Rory these day though. He's not coming off as very likable. Not only does he seem to be distancing himself from this island, it seems increasingly that he is hellbent on becoming Feherty's heir.....Captain America! The American wife, living in the states, the accent, the faux love of American sports, best buddies with the likes of Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, it all reeks of effort.

Sorry but this is a ridiculous comment. He lives, and has done in the States for a good few years as the majority of his work is there so the likelihood of meeting an American wife would increase. Is he best mates with Thomas or Fowler?? I thought his best mate is on the bag and working with him daily.

Haven't seen much from him in relation to American sports and he is hardly GMac on the accent front.

prawnsambo

Well he's having a good day today. Seven under after 12. One shot lead over DJ.

Seve OB

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

He comes across a lad in his 20s - he still is.

Probably the fairest comment I’ve ever read about his “antics”. Very apt.

ligerdub

Remind me wrote: »

You can't compare a major Championship where a large % do not qualify, it is also not the 'English' Open.

Players who have been the face of the British Masters do not play in it now, that was my point. You have a player like Rose missing multiple events to suit his schedule and plan and that's what you have to do.



Sorry but this is a ridiculous comment. He lives, and has done in the States for a good few years as the majority of his work is there so the likelihood of meeting an American wife would increase. Is he best mates with Thomas or Fowler?? I thought his best mate is on the bag and working with him daily.

Haven't seen much from him in relation to American sports and he is hardly GMac on the accent front.

I'm not comparing it to a major, I'm comparing it to the relevance of the tournament specifically to people from that country. The simple fact is after the Open itself there is no big tournament in England that has an important connection to English players. There was an English open but it no longer exists. Also, nobody cares if some mid-ranked player bails on a tournament, and all the best players in the world fit enough to play will be playing in the Open. You can't compare Rory McIlroy choosing not to play the Irish Open to an English golfer who isn't up to the standard not making the field at the Open Championship.

My comment on the American wife thing was a bit of a reach in truth, it's obviously understandable that he married an American as he has such a connection there. He does ham it up though in my opinion.

FixdePitchmark

Seve OB wrote: »

Probably the fairest comment I’ve ever read about his “antics”. Very apt.

Yes when he was up to his craziest antics, walking off course - he was still in his mid 20s.

Your supposed to be all over the shop in your 20s.

I'd put a fair few quid Rory is going to come back and dominate the game at a certain point - as in pick up 3/4 majors in a year.

From listening to The Tiger Woods book - Rory is decidedly rounded for a teen star who has also had family problems with folks.

He is from the North too and the North is a strange place - even Rory doesn't want to be up the North . He sold his house up there , was a big statement.

Has he even got a property in the North ?

rooney30

Heard peter Lawrie on a podcast recently and he was of the view that playing the pga tour was definitely better preparation for the 3 us majors than playing the European tour . The factors he cited were , green speed , type of grass on greens and climate .

FixdePitchmark

rooney30 wrote: »

Heard peter Lawrie on a podcast recently and he was of the view that playing the pga tour was definitely better preparation for the 3 us majors than playing the European tour . The factors he cited were , green speed , type of grass on greens and climate .

At the end of the day - the last 16 majors have only had 4 European winners - and even some of them are US based.

Joe_ Public

ligerdub wrote: »

Molinari winning last year was based on the brilliant form he was in. He was pretty much obliged to play that tournament in the states due to obligations to sponsors. This idea of playing the week before the Open as important is a very new thing. It was possibly Phil Mickelsons win before Muirfield which changed this. Before that the smart money was on those who rested up from tournament golf the week before.

Just on this point. The idea that playing the week before is a good thing may be a relatively new notion but there’s a good reason for that. It was only in 2011 that they hit on the very obviously sensible idea of hosting the scottish Open on a links course, had they done so sooner then it would have taken off sooner. 6 of the 8 open champions since have played the scottish open. Of the other 2 molinari, as you pointed out, played week before in the us. Spieth, not sure, but that’s a pretty good indication that playing in scotland is certainly no hindrance anyway.

On the 3 week thing, im sure rory has no problem with it generally, he just really doesn’t want to do it before the open this year. Maybe next year will be different. We’ll have to see.

Remind me

ligerdub wrote: »

I'm not comparing it to a major, I'm comparing it to the relevance of the tournament specifically to people from that country. The simple fact is after the Open itself there is no big tournament in England that has an important connection to English players. There was an English open but it no longer exists. Also, nobody cares if some mid-ranked player bails on a tournament, and all the best players in the world fit enough to play will be playing in the Open. You can't compare Rory McIlroy choosing not to play the Irish Open to an English golfer who isn't up to the standard not making the field at the Open Championship.

I am not comparing, you are the one making the comparison with the open and wrongly trying to make the Open a national championship.

My point relates to Rory having done great work as the face for the Irish Open stepping away from it for a year(hopefully) for what he feels will benefit him winning a major in his home country. Other players who have been the face of tournaments have then not played in them in their own country but you do not see the same reaction or focus on their decision.

bailey99

He's a Langer. Can you imagine Monty skipping the Scottish open, or Molinari skipping the Italian open. Seve skipping the Spanish open.

Listening to McGinley commentating on the WGC on sky sports, he's seriously pissed off with McIlroy. He's a Langer IMO.

FixdePitchmark

bailey99 wrote: »

He's a Langer. Can you imagine Monty skipping the Scottish open, or Molinari skipping the Italian open. Seve skipping the Spanish open.

Listening to McGinley commentating on the WGC on sky sports, he's seriously pissed off with McIlroy. He's a Langer IMO.

But the narrative - even from Paul was , if he wins the Open (and a good chance he will) - his choice will be then justified.

Would agree on the golfers you mentioned. Most of the Spanish lads etc go and play their open even when prize money is brutal.

Keano

bailey99 wrote: »

He's a Langer. Can you imagine Monty skipping the Scottish open, or Molinari skipping the Italian open. Seve skipping the Spanish open.

Listening to McGinley commentating on the WGC on sky sports, he's seriously pissed off with McIlroy. He's a Langer IMO.

Easy with the abuse! Cheers

Joe_ Public

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

But the narrative - even from Paul was , if he wins the Open (and a good chance he will) - his choice will be then justified.

The corollary of this, of course, is that if he doesn’t (much more likely than not) then he’ll be proven to have got it grievously wrong. And while common sense tells us it’s not half as simple as that, the inevitable schadenfraude won’t let something as basic as common sense get in the way.

tayto lover

You really should put your own Open ahead of the Scottish Open.
It just doesn’t look right not to.

Golfhead65

tayto lover wrote: »

You really should put your own Open ahead of the Scottish Open.
It just doesn’t look right not to.

He is putting his own open ahead of the Irish open ...think about that one !!

Seve OB

ligerdub wrote: »

it's obviously understandable that he married an American as he has such a connection there.

I would have phrased that as its obviously understandable that he married someone who worked on the PGA tour as they were colleagues.

A hell of a lot of marriages stem from working together.

backspin.

I think Darren Clarke is hosting the Irish open in 2020 and is trying to get it in Portrush. Rory will likely play that one as its Clarke and in Northern Ireland.

tobsey

Lovely putt through the shadows there on the hardest hole on the course. If he can avoid the one bad round he seems to have most tournaments recently hopefully he’ll get the job done this week.

bailey99

tobsey wrote: »

Lovely putt through the shadows there on the hardest hole on the course. If he can avoid the one bad round he seems to have most tournaments recently hopefully he’ll get the job done this week.

Don't know many that support McIlroy after this. Can't be arsed after becoming the host, Rory foundation and that.

Remind me

bailey99 wrote: »

Don't know many that support McIlroy after this. Can't be arsed after becoming the host, Rory foundation and that.

Quite easily support him.

tobsey

Remind me wrote: »

Quite easily support him.

Absolutely. Every chance the Irish Open wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Rory. Now it’s one of the bigger events on the ET, probably bigger than any event in the UK bar the Open. At least this time he's explained his reasons clearly unlike the Olympics, and he’s entitled to make the decision.

prawnsambo

Great round to finish eight under. DJ looks like he'll finish on that or one behind.

HarshOstrich

tobsey wrote: »

Absolutely. Every chance the Irish Open wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Rory. Now it’s one of the bigger events on the ET, probably bigger than any event in the UK bar the Open. At least this time he's explained his reasons clearly unlike the Olympics, and he’s entitled to make the decision.

The fact he was tournament host for a few years only makes his decision more peculiar as he is undoing all the good work that has been done the past few years.
Mcilroy owes it to the country to show up at every Irish open wether he wants to or not.
Don’t praise him for saving the Irish open, he was the next tiger all them years ago,it worked both ways, we where just lucky he happened to be born on this island.
Rory hosting the tournament was just him building his brand and earning more from personal sponsorships like tiger use to do years ago.

PokeHerKing

Rory is British, his national championship is the Open.

Not sure why so many on here struggle with that.

mfceiling

HarshOstrich wrote: »

Mcilroy owes it to the country to show up at every Irish open wether he wants to or not.

How does he "owe" it to the country?

Remind me

HarshOstrich wrote: »

The fact he was tournament host for a few years only makes his decision more peculiar as he is undoing all the good work that has been done the past few years.
Mcilroy owes it to the country to show up at every Irish open wether he wants to or not.
Don’t praise him for saving the Irish open, he was the next tiger all them years ago,it worked both ways, we where just lucky he happened to be born on this island.
Rory hosting the tournament was just him building his brand and earning more from personal sponsorships like tiger use to do years ago.

Owes it to the country?!!

This decision while disappointing is hardly on the golfing world’s radar. He will lose the support of a few here who, in all likelihood, wouldn’t have been his biggest fan anyway but come the Open and next years Irish Open he will still be pulling the biggest galleries and support.

rooney30

PokeHerKing wrote: »

Rory is British, his national championship is the Open.

Not sure why so many on here struggle with that.

Ha ha , good man yourself .
Rory could be one of three things , British , Irish or Northern Irish . You obviously struggle with that!

HarshOstrich

Yes he owes it to the country that supported and nurtured his talent from an early age and got him to where he is today.
Fair enough the open is on his own patch this year but he’s just putting more pressure on himself to perform that week.
It’s the 1 tournament every year that he shouldn’t miss outside of the majors.
I hope to hear Harrington’s opinion on this.

Mantis Toboggan

Played some great stuff today, very solid with the putter.