Rory McIlory only turned pro in 2007 and now look at what he has done! The personable young Irish golfer has endeared himself with fans and sportswriters as well as fellow members of the PGA tour. He is the greatest sensation in golf since…. well, since Tiger Woods.
Senior statesman of the links Greg Norman says for the first time in his career Tiger is intimidated by another player — Rory McIlory. But if you look closely at their relationship, Shane Bacon says, it’s not intimidation Woods feels, but a mutual respect. That’s not to suggest Woods still can’t or won’t win. He can and will. But McIlroy, 23, is now the best player in the game, often winning the way Woods, now 36, used to.
Woods can still win the FedExCup with a victory at The TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in two weeks, but there may be no stopping McIlroy, who is atop the standings and one spot ahead of Woods and in total control of his fate and his game. Sunday’s victory at the BMW Championship was McIlroy’s second in a row and third in his last four starts. The last guy to do that? Tiger Woods, in 2009.
The neat thing about the Tiger Woods-Rory McIlroy dynamic is that the two appear to genuinely like one another. McIlroy respects Woods for all his accomplishments, while Woods appreciates McIlroy for his immense talent and engaging personality. “He’s a nice kid, he really is,” Woods said. “It’s fun to play with him. You watch him swing the club and watch him putt and play, he doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. You can see that in the next decade or so as he really matures and understands some of the nuances of the game, he’s only going to get better, and that’s kind of fun to see.” It’s also good for Woods because the friendly rivalry should motivate him in what’s now the second half of his career much the way we’ve seen with other cross-generational rivalries.
Rory McIlroy was born 4 May 1989. He is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down who is a member of both the European and PGA Tours. He is the current World Number One and a two-time major champion. On 19 June 2011 he won the U.S. Open, setting a record score of 16-under-par on his way to an eight-shot victory. McIlory was just 22 years old at the time. He then won the 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island by a record eight shots on 12 August 2012 for his second major championship victory. He has been cited as the most exciting young prospect in golf and having the potential to become one of the highest earners in sports in terms of endorsements. He is certainly off to a flying start. Rory McIlory is not only a great golfer but a great showman as well. I guess that is to be expected. He is, after all, from Hollywood!
