Just because Rory McIlroy shot 63 in the first round of the Open Championship today at the Old Course, equalling the lowest single round in major championship history, I'm not ready to pronounce his arrival as the next great player.
I may have done that after he shot 62 to win the Quail Hollow Championship. I'm trying to stay ahead of the curve.
It was only one round in perhaps the most benign conditions ever seen at the Old Course but it was a heckuva round, for sure. Without sounding precocious McIlroy basically said he left a couple of shots out there and he was right. Tiger essentially said the same thing about his 67 and Phil Mickelson let the tournament get away from him. He string of pars said all that needed to be said.
McIlroy was asked to compare his 63 at the Old Course to his final-round 62 at Quail Hollow that won him his first PGA Tour event.
"Two completely different circumstances," McIlroy said. "I was going out at Quail Hollow four or five shots off the lead and I was just going out there to try and shoot a good number. I got tied for the lead after nine holes that day and the back nine at Quail Hollow that was very special to me. The front nine sort of got me into position but the back nine was where I sort of put the tournament to bed, I suppose.
"I don't know, it's hard to compare because they're two completely different circumstances but this is definitely up there as one of the best rounds I've played."
As if you couldn 't tell, McIlroy loves the Old Course. Thursday was his ninth round at the Old Course and when asked if he remembers what he shot previously, he didn't hesitate.
"Yeah," he said. "69, 69, 67, 68, 67, 68, 65, 69, 63."
Maybe we've seen golf's future and its name is Rory McIlroy.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Rory Compares 63 St. Andrews To 62 At Quail
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3 comments:
We heard this about Sergio, Adam Scott, A. Kim, others.
Write about this AFTER they win even ONE major.
Thanks
Indeed he is the future. He looks like the real deal. And he also seems to be surrounded by players, family, and friends who can give him the best support. Guys like Harrington, Clarke, and Els have been saying he is a future #1 for some time now.
Should be interesting to see what the guys do tomorrow in what could be more "Openish" conditions.
McIlroy really looks like the real deal in golf. If he physically and mentally holds up, he will be the new Nicholas or Woods. The 21 year old needs to show better consistency but he definitely has the best game in golf on some days. Rory was a 5' put from setting the old time low score at "any" major. Wow!
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