The clips of his spikes hitting the tarmac walkway to the practice area – those working on putting and short game at one end, those with drivers and irons on the converted golf holes not in use for the real thing at this 122nd US Open at the far end of the makeshift range – provide an acoustic accompaniment to each stride taken by Rory McIlroy.
Old-school metal spikes. The sound as sweet and pure as a clubface hitting a golf ball. McIlroy, alone, working his way down the hill and towards the bridge over to the practice area. Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Smooth, consistent. At peace in his own world.
He’s headed to where the real work is done. It is two hours before McIlroy is due to hook-up with Shane Lowry on the 10th tee for a reconnaissance of the back nine of the championship course and, perhaps thankfully, all of his media duties are behind him. Print. Radio. Television.
These days especially, as the articulate voice and poster boy of those players choosing history and legacy over wheelbarrows of easy money, McIlroy is a player in demand. He’s also a player in form. His delayed successful defence of the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, a thrilling back nine battle with rivals down the stretch, brought him to third in the updated world rankings and again on many lips as a likely winner of this third major of the golfing year.
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But, as has been the case of late, McIlroy’s voice talks about others and other things as much as his own golf. The arrival of LIV Golf and its Arabian money has fissured the landscape and the terrain is a difficult one for many players to negotiate. Some have simply remained silent, others have stumbled with their words in reasoning why they were converted without putting hands up and saying it was all about the money turning their heads.
McIlroy has learned a few things in his own journey. For example, there was a time when he believed what his peers on tour told him. Trusted them even.
“I guess I took a lot of players’ statements at face value. I guess that’s what I got wrong,” said McIlroy, adding: “You had people committed to the PGA Tour, and that’s what the statements that were put out. People went back on that, so I guess I took them for face value. I took them at their word, and I was wrong.”
No names mentioned. He didn’t need to call them out. Dustin Johnson. Bryson DeChambeau. Their statements of support to the PGA Tour are on public record. Meaningless words now.
McIlroy’s emergence as one of the voices strongest in support of the PGA Tour and golf’s history shouldn’t surprise anyone at all. He has always bought into legacies.
“The PGA Tour was created by people and tour players that came before us, the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer. They created something and worked hard for something, and I hate to see all the players that came before us and all the hard work that they’ve put in just come out to be nothing.
“I think one of the other things as well is the PGA Tour has certainly given me a lot of opportunities, and I’ve benefited a lot from that, but I think what they’ve done for charity. They’ve raised — if you put all the other major sporting organisations in (the USA), so NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, if you put all their charitable dollars combined, the PGA Tour has raised twice as much as that in their history.
“That is a massive legacy and something that I don’t think people talk enough about, so when you are talking about the tour and everything that’s happening right now, you have to see the bigger picture than just the golf, and I think I’ve tried to take a wider view of everything, and I just think it’s the right thing to do.”
As for his own legacy? That’s still evolving, with the chance this week to adorn it further. Four major titles so far. Global wins. The voice of reason, too.
“I hope I’m still building on my legacy. In golfing terms, I’m still youngish. Even though I’ve been out here for a long time, I’ve basically spent half my life on tour at this point. It’s very important to me. It means a lot, going back to history and tradition and putting your name on trophies that have the legends of the game on them. That’s really cool, and that’s something that money can’t buy.
“‘ You strip everything away, and you’re left with how you made people feel and what people thought of you. That is important to me.”
