The Summer of 2014, even beyond the world of golf, will be remembered for the remarkable achievements of one Rory McIlroy. The Irishman has won four of the main golf tournaments in the world in a matter of weeks in a manner that showed off his immense talents and psychological mettle. In that mix is victory in two of the four "majors"; the Open and US PGA Championship. This alone does not fully reflect the new superstar status he has achieved by the age of 25. Fellow player Phil Mickelson conceded after his latest win in Vahalla, Kentucky, that McIlroy was playing a game to everyone else. It was the kind of remark made when Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen, Harry Vardon and Young Tom Morris were at their all-conquering best during golden eras of the past.
In spite of a new generation of stars led currently by McIlroy, the current era is not golden. The game is wrestling with declining participation and a fall-off in revenues for golf businesses including tourism. It needs to modernise; to open up access to clubs - particularly for younger players and to address issues about gender. The outcome of a vote next month by some 2,500 male members on whether to admit women to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrew's Scotland, "the home of golf", may signal big change for the positive.
And yet there is an enduring nobility about the game. It remains one marked by honour. The sportsmanship of Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, in allowing McIlroy play the 18th hole with them at the height of battle and in fading darkness, when in normal circumstances he would have had to wait his turn and may not have been able to complete his round on Sunday, was the latest manifestation of its integrity. But golf like life can be fickle. Four majors in the pocket is no guarantee of future wins. Injury, as Woods knows too well, can be a cruel intervenor. Consistently delivering 300-yard drives on fairway, generating awesome clubhead speed in the process, can take a huge toll on the human body. Then again, McIlroy's stunning rhythm makes it all seem effortless - and more than ever in his current groove.
