McIlroy has not won a major since 2014, he came as close as he has at last week’s U.S. Open – and that can fire him toward The Open glory at Royal Troon in July.
But what if Rory McIlroy’s U.S. Open nightmare is the catalyst for a major run? Remember, his 2011 Masters meltdown was the catalyst for his breakthrough on the biggest stage aged 22.
It has not yet been a week, but there has been much hand-wringing around McIlroy’s dramatic conclusion at Pinehurst.
The general feeling has been how on earth does he get over it? And whether it’s possible for him to put it behind him and win that fifth major.
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The popular take appears to have been; there’s no way he can possibly recover.
This ignores two huge factors. 1) To quote Shane Lowry ‘You’re Rory ‘f****** McIlroy. 2) We’ve been here before.
The first point is from McIlroy’s great friend Lowry’s rallying call ahead of the Ryder Cup singles in 2021 – and it’s worth bearing in mind.
McIlroy is a four-time major champion, a multiple winner on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, three-time FedEx Cup winner, five-time Race to Dubai winner and the current world no.3.
However just months before McIlroy crumbled on Augusta’s back nineCredit: Getty
All the great players have collapsed, in many sports, on many occasions and almost all of them have referenced the fact that in sport you lose more than you win – and the sooner you come to terms with that the better.
McIlroy – with 40 worldwide victories – wins more
Even more so when it happens in the way that saw a second U.S. Open snatched away from him.
It means we head to Royal Troon with the decade-long wait for a major having one last chance to be over before it spills into an 11th year and second decade.
However, champions separate themselves from the rest, putting such heartbreak behind them. And McIlroy has already begun moving on.
Walking away from his press commitments was not a great look, but those images from the scorer’s hut did more than enough to tell everyone how he was feeling.
