Golf: Rory McIlroy Is Showing Signs Of Improvement
By Les Bailey
It hasn’t been a great week for the 23 year old number one golfer in the world, but Rory McIlroy looks to be getting some things figured out with his golf swing. The youngster from Northern Ireland has shone some of the brilliance that won him the 2012 scoring title, and the money title on both major tours. Proving that swing flaws, and not his new equipment are at the heart of his problems, he has fought back from a first round one over par performance at the Cadillac Championship, to a respectable -3 under par total after the third round.
He has stopped the pre-shot routine that looks a lot like a right handed Mike Weir, but reminds him to take his club back on the inside, and is showing some promise off of the tee. In my opinion, his game suffers more from rust, than anything. With so much of his time spent on the driving range in an attempt to get off the tee with some sort of consistency, he has deserted his once spot on short game. I don’t believe his current problems with his short game are rooted in his equipment as much as just a lack of practice.
He is also showing some signs of life on the greens. He’s had moments at Doral where he almost looks like the old Rory, then he will turn around, and make a stroke that you have to wonder, where did that come from.
I feel like Rory McIlroy, and Nike had a bad case of timing when they decided to switch his equipment this year. With Tiger Woods on the come back trail, Rory needed his old clubs, and old confidence to meet a resurgent Tiger Woods this year, as well as, more time to cement his somewhat fragile ego. They have asked him to defend his 2012 success on a world stage with less than his A-Game, and I am not sure he has internal fortitude for a job of that size.
Rory McIlroy put together five birdies in six hole on Saturday, and had it not been for a double bogey five at the fourth hole, would have finished the third round with a respectful mid pack score. He is not scheduled to play again until the Shell Houston Open, but I think his game could use more tournament time under fire, than taking time off right now. Some of his problems are rooted in taking too much time away from the competition.
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