GOLF: PHILIP REIDhears the US Open champion who, despite a disappointing finish, heap praise on his former mentor

NOT USUALLY accustomed to standing in the shadows, this was one day when Rory McIlroy didn’t mind one iota playing second fiddle. No, this was Darren Clarke’s day; and, after the recently-crowned US Open champion signed his fourth round card to confirm his place in the middle orders, the young pretender effectively put his hands up to praise the older maestro.

“It’s a very emotional victory for a lot of people,” admitted McIlroy, who had dinner with Clarke in the ISM house on Saturday night. “You know, he’s had to go through a lot of things (in his life) and it’s almost as if he’s, especially back home in Northern Ireland, he’s the forgotten man a little bit with Graeme (McDowell) doing what he did last year and then me coming on. So, it is fantastic to see him win.”

Of the mentoring role which Clarke took on – including him in the Darren Clarke Foundation and generally looking out for him on tour – McIlroy said, “He’s been fantastic for me, more a great friend that anything else. He always sends me texts when he’s not playing, sent me texts all week at the US Open. Anything I’ve need or wanted to know, he’s always been on the other end of the phone.”

When McIlroy won his breakthrough Major at the US Open, Clarke withdrew from the following week’s BMW International so he could stay at home for the victory celebrations. At least McIlroy doesn’t have to miss a tournament to join Clarke’s party, as he has a week off before playing in next week’s Irish Open at Killarney – “always a big week for us”, he said – followed by the Bridgestone Invitational and, then, the season’s final Major, the US PGA in Atlanta.

McIlroy’s first competitive outing as the US Open champion finished with a 73 for 287, seven over par, which left him in tied-26th position. “It’s been a tough week for me, just struggled in the weather at the weekend. I’m not a fan of golf tournaments that the outcome is predicted so much by the weather, it’s not my sort of golf. I’m disappointed with the way I finished obviously, but I’ll just have to wait until next year to try and make a run at this tournament,” he said.

A bogey-bogey finish only added to the sense of frustration.

In fact, McIlroy’s woes were summed up by having to call a penalty stroke when his ball moved as he addressed a birdie putt on the par-five seventh hole. “I feel a bit frustrated. I got a bit down when my ball moved, I was just like ‘it’s just not (my day)’, you’re looking at an eight-foot birdie putt and then all of a sudden it’s for par and then you’re a bit scrambled and you miss it and end up making bogey.”

By then, of course, McIlroy’s quest for a back-to-back championship was done and dusted. But, despite having such problems in the weather, the 22-year-old Ulsterman doesn’t intend to change anything about his game to make it more conducive to such conditions. “My game is suited for basically every golf course and most conditions, but these conditions I just don’t enjoy playing in really . . . I’d rather play when it’s 80 degrees and sunny and not much wind.”

In a way, McIlroy was content the focus had switched off him somewhat. After his win in the US Open, there was much talk of him being the next superstar, a player who could threaten Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 career Majors. “I’ve just won one (Major). I’ve won three tournaments as a pro, and to start talking about winning 18 Majors and this and that, yeah, that was very premature.”

For now, McIlroy is intent on enjoying Clarke’s moment . . . and to getting to work on his swing ahead of a stretch of tournaments that takes in the Irish Open, the Bridgestone and the US PGA. “I’m looking forward to getting back to America, playing in Akron, and obviously the PGA and the Irish Open is a big one for us, as well. It’s a week that I enjoy.”

McIlroy added: “I’m looking forward to getting home for a week and then going to the Irish Open. But I’m still one of this year’s Major winners, so there’s always going to be a little bit of expectation and a bit of pressure.”

The pressure will start again in Killarney; until then, there’s the matter of helping Clarke celebrate his moment.