Golf:Rory McIlroy had no trouble today naming the quality he thinks could be the key to becoming the third youngest winner of the US PGA title this week. As torrential rain interrupted practice at Whistling Straits on the eve of the final major of the year the 21-year-old stressed the importance of patience.
“Sometimes it’s hard when you’re trying to get somewhere so fast and you don’t really want to slow down,” said McIlroy. “But you’ve got to be really patient in this game and I realise that.
“Sometimes it is hard for me to accept that you’re not going to have a good day all the time. I think that’s something that I’m still learning how to do. But that all just comes through experience and I feel as if I’m getting better at it.
“At the Irish Open I just sort of let my head go down and just sort of tried to get to the clubhouse as fast as possible. You’re going to have days like that and other days you’re going to wake up and you’re going to hit it great and you’re going to see the lines of putts and they’re going to go in.
“Everyone tells me ‘Rory, just be patient’.”
McIlroy led the British Open after a stunning opening 63 last month, but followed it with an 80 in Friday’s strong winds. Over the weekend, though, he stormed through the field to finish in a tie for third.
“I’ve probably never been more excited about a tournament than that one,” he commented. “I gave myself the best possible chance and then I just found it very difficult — the conditions were tough and I just let the round get away from me a little bit.
“To come back the way that I did gave me a lot of confidence. It wasn’t the result I was looking for obviously, but finishing third at St Andrews was a big boost for me.
“It made me realise that if I prepared properly and did the right things leading up to a tournament that I can give myself a really good chance.”
Corey Pavin, meanwhile, is refusing to say whether Tiger Woods will be in his Ryder Cup side — but opposite number Colin Montgomerie has no doubt what he would do.
“That’s a very difficult, dangerous and undiplomatic question — but of course I’d pick him, yes,” said Montgomerie today when the two men held a joint press conference in Wisconsin.
“Let me make a note of that,” responded Pavin, who earlier in the day had used his Twitter page to deny that he had said the world number one was a certain wildcard if he does not qualify automatically on Sunday.
“Thanks for the help. Appreciate it. He’s very helpful that way, Colin is.”
Woods, 10th in a table from which only the leading eight will earn spots, finished next-to-last in a world championship event last weekend. But on Tuesday he stated unequivocally that he wanted to be on the team even if he fails to earn his spot.
Pavin is to wait until September 7th to name his selections, but on why he was not prepared to name Woods now the former US Open champion said: “It would be disrespectful to everybody that’s trying to make the team.
“I’ve got quite a few people I’m looking at. I would not disrespect any of the players that are potential players on the team. There’s nobody that’s promised any picks right now.”
As for the “of course I’m going to” comment that was reported he added: “Obviously there was a misinterpretation of what I said — that is an incorrect quote.”
Montgomerie is, of course, well aware that the Americans won without Woods two years ago — he was recovering from knee surgery then — and that he has been on only one victorious side since his 1997 debut. There is also the fact that Woods has looked a shadow of his former self since the scandal that became public knowledge in November.
But Montgomerie said: “Of course there’s a huge aura regarding Tiger Woods still. It’s the one name that all our team will be looking for if they are going to play against him in any form of the Ryder Cup.
“It’s the first name that would spring to mind for any of my team — and something that my team will relish the opportunity of playing against what we all believe is the best player of our generation.”