Ewen Murray pays tribute to the young man behind the 'best four rounds ever played at a major'.
McIlroy's masterclass puts Americans firmly in the shade
How about that for a major championship?
This year's US Open will be remembered for many years to come and for Rory McIlroy it's the start of an exciting journey that will take him to the heights of the professional game and into the record books for the next two decades.
I have had the privilege of watching some wonderful golf over the past 20 years. There has been the entrance into the sport of arguably the game's finest player and Tiger Woods' brilliance during the last 15 years has elevated golf to a level we all enjoy today.
Tiger's genial touch and handsome smile gave the game a shot in the arm, doubled television ratings and increased the awareness of golf across the globe. His demolition of high-class fields became legendary, so much so that we expected him to do it every time he played and he usually obliged.
Of all of the great performances Tiger delivered, Rory's destruction of one of America's most revered courses puts his achievement at the top of the list. I have never seen a more comprehensive display of sustained excellence from start to finish than his performance in Washington.
After his collapse at Augusta, he said to me, "I didn't half mess that up". Yes he did, but that's all he did. No great surprise, he is 22 years of age.
I cringed when some who should know better said he may never recover. Nonsense. There were calls for him to sack his caddie. Nonsense. They cried, "there is a flaw in his swing, he hasn't got the nerve". More nonsense. His relationship with JP Fitzgerald goes far deeper than the role of caddie. He is one of his closest friends, like Jim "Bones" McKay is to Phil Mickelson, like Steve Williams is to Woods.
JP was a former West of Ireland champion, a more than decent player and yes, caddies and players do get it wrong from time to time, but a close friendship on the course under pressure is like having a 15th club.
Perspective
Now that he has tucked away his first major, Augusta becomes the strongest foundation he could have to build what I'm sure will be an illustrious career. The reason for that is the way he handled the meltdown in Georgia. No excuses, just a bloody awful day. Golf is like that.
Rory would have had a good look at what went wrong and what he could do to make sure it would not happen again. He learned quickly. He talked to Jack Nicklaus and picked the brains of top putting coach, Dave Stockton. He took a trip to Haiti and witnessed some people a lot less fortunate than himself which put that last day at Augusta into perspective.
We will never forget the 19th of June 2011. It was one of the most emotional days I've experienced in golf. Having a big lead is a hard thing to deal with. The pressure was that he was expected to go-ahead and win, he had everything to lose especially as the Masters was fresh in everyone's mind.
From the time he birdied the first hole any doubts disappeared. This was Rory's time and so it proved.
Two young lads from Northern Ireland have lived the dream and done what no British player had done in 40 years. They were brought up just a few miles apart and therein lies part of their secret. They were nurtured by two rounded families who gave up much to give them the best possible chance of succeeding.
Yet, if they had not been successful the families would have still have been proud of two outstanding young men. Kenny McDowell was first to receive the perfect Father's Day present, this year, it was the turn of Gerry McIlroy. The mums will of course have played a huge part, as only mums can.
Television-wise, Sunday was one of
Sky Sports' finest days in golf. As the clock ticked to 1.30pm Eastern time, one of the most emotive openings to a golf programme went to air. Pictures of Nicklaus, Palmer, Miller, Watson and Trevino along with others winning the US Open, with their quotes over their triumphant deeds. In the background, faded pictures of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and the other great leaders the mighty nation has had.
These openings take hours to complete and are cut by assistant producers when the rest of us are asleep. There are times when you are humbled by their creative excellence. They set the tone for the day and a final round by the Capital is always going to be something special and so it proved to be.
During the round, I thought of the small country all of these miles away. Rory is attached to Loch Earne, a new course designed by Nick Faldo that is set to become one of the country's finest. I imagined the TV on and a full house cheering his every shot. Then Holywood golf club where he was brought up having been introduced to the club at the tender age of nine.
The picture I saw in
The Times was just as I envisaged; families around the tables with smiles on their faces as young Rors split the fairways and peppered the pins. Ireland is golf through and through and for a small nation they have produced a host of wonderful players, many of them enjoying their finest moments in the Ryder Cup.
Impressive
As Rory walked from the top of the hill to the green at the last, I imagined the members on their feet clapping as if they were taking the walk with him. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.
We closed with the words "the Congressional medal of honour goes to Rory McIlroy" but no words would have been good enough for this immensely impressive young man and what he had just achieved. I'm sure you know, the Medal of Honour is America's highest military award.
Talking of America, they are going through a thin period in golf and it's now five majors without a win. Sadly, after the greats of the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties, success in the States is measured in winning $3million dollars with $5million in endorsements.
They don't have the hunger of Rors and GMac, Kaymer Westwood and Donald, quite simply they don't have the desire to travel and emulate the great Americans of the past.
The American television contracts are due for renewal soon and this one is very different from the last one the PGA Tour signed. Then, Tiger was in full flow with Mickelson at the height of his career and Sergio Garcia in the top three.
Only three of their players sit in the top 10 of the world rankings and two of them, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker are on the wrong side of 40, the other is the consistent Matt Kuchar.
Their top players last week were Robert Garrigus and Kevin Chappell who tied fourth. They were the only two in the top 10 at Congressional. They need Tiger Woods to return to a healthy status and produce what he did over that magical 15 years. We await his second coming. However, if that happens, TW will find a new breed in position to rule the golfing world.
To Rory, you were magnificent and it was our honour to be at Congressional to witness the best four rounds ever played in a major.
