Corky's Golf Review, June 2010

The best new player on the world stage today? The most exciting prospect for the future of European golf? Well possibly but let’s not get carried away. There are lots of examples were new kids on the block have been lauded only for the flame to flicker and go out after a short while, however, I must admit that Rory McIlroy seems to be the real deal.
Born in Northern Ireland in May 1989 Rory joined his local Holywood Golf Club where he met his golf teacher Michael Bannon who is still his coach. At 16 years of age he was a member of the Junior Ryder Cup team and in 2005 he became the youngest winner of the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship. This same year he also shot a new course record of 61 on the links of Royal Portrush.
The following year he retained both competitions and in August that year he won the European Amateur Championship in Milan with scores of 65,69,72,68 winning by three strokes. In October that year he represented Ireland in the Eisenhower Trophy and the Amateur World Championships. In early February 2007 he headed the world amateur rankings if only for one week but more was to come from the youngster.
He entered the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie and shot a bogey free (the only player that day) opening round of 68. Three more rounds 76, 73, 72 left him 5 over par for the tournament making him the winner of the Silver Medal for top amateur and bringing him to the attention of many more golfers across the world. Later that year he was a member of the Walker Cup team that lost to the United States by one point. His personal record was won one, lost two and halved one.
Rory made his first European Tour debut a few days after his sixteenth birthday at the British Masters where he failed to make the cut. However, in 2007 he made his first cut at the Dubai Desert Classic where he won €7,600.00 but of course as an amateur he had to forego the prize money.
Rory turned professional in September the day before the British Masters and earned his first pay cheque with a 2 over par finish. He signed for Andrew Chandlers ISM company along with such notables players as Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Ernie Els and David Howell.
In October he finished third in the Dunhill Links Championship at St; Andrews. This showing put him in line to become the youngest ever member of the European Tour by qualification. The following week this was confirmed with a 4th place at the Madrid Open. His earnings this year went from zero to €277,255.00 and he finished in 95th place in the Order of Merit.
2008 saw him miss the cut in Hong Kong, finish 15th in the Australian Masters and officially enter the World Golf Rankings inside the top 200. He should have won his first European Tour Event at Crans-Sur-Sierre in Switzerland but after missing a four foot put on the last and three putting in the playoff he ended up in second place. His season ended with him in the top 100 in the world and placed 36th in the European Rankings.
2009 saw him finishing second in Hong Kong in November 2008. I know, it’s confusing, but the 2009 season started in November 2008 which meant the he finished the calendar year in 50th position in the world. A 3rd place in the South African Open gained Rory an invitation to the Masters at Augusta only 18 months after turning professional. First place was finally his in the Dubai Desert Classic in February taking him to a world ranking of 16th.
He reached the quarter final stage of the World Match-play Championships going out to eventual winner Geoff Ogilvy 2 & 1. He continued in the US finishing inside the top twenty in his three events, the Honda Classic, WGC-CA Championship and the Shell Houston Open. He played in his first Masters event finishing 2 under par and in 20th place.
He returned to Europe where he finished 5th at the BMW PGA Championship and 12th at the European Open. His second major, the US Open saw him finish in 10th place. 15th in the BMW International Open was followed by his first professional Open Championship and later that year he finished in 3rd place at the US Open his best major finish to date.
His season saw him finish second to his stable-mate Lee Westwood in the Race to Dubai and his ranking in the world rose to 9th making him the youngest player to enter the top ten since Sergio Garcia.
This season has seen him off to a flyer with 3rd place in Abu Dhabi and 5th in Dubai. After a couple of lower places in events in the US Rory won his first PGA Tour event when he decimated the field at Quail Hollow in Carolina. Having played this course I can confirm the difficulty that the players faced, it is a brute. He made the cut, just, being one over par after two days but played 16 under for the weekend finishing with a course record 62 on the final day. This win made him the first winner since Tiger to win in the states before his 21st birthday.
I started this article asking ‘Is he the real deal?’ well after writing the above I guess I have convinced myself that he surely must become one of the finest players to represent Irish and European golf for many a year, so, until next time, swing like Rory.