August 10, 2015; Sheboygan, WI, USA; Rory McIlroy catches a golf ball on the 17th tee during a practice …
Advertisement
Rory McIlroy, with his ankle injury all recovered, is back in the US, home to his girlfriend Erica Stoll, to defend his PGA title.
McIlroy has had some time to knock off the rust from a few unplanned weeks off, and if he’s truly ready to go as he says, he has to be considered a top favorite for the year’s final major. “To do what I need to do this week, it’s 100%”.
The 26-year-old McIlroy has managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot in the world, though, and the PGA Championship should be a chance for the top two players to finally go head-to-head after Spieth’s incredible emergence this year.
“It felt fine, McIlroy said”.
“If he can keep it in the fairway and get off to a good start, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he gets in contention”.
At Whistling Straits in 2010, Oosthuizen arrived at the venue fresh from a seven-stroke victory at the British Open, but he went on to miss the cut after two “very nervous” opening rounds. He said: “I’m finding the middle of the club face”.
The final major of the year begins on Thursday and if you weren’t so excited about it before, the news of Rory McIlroy’s involvement should certainly capture your attention.
World number one McIlroy and second-ranked Spieth have between them won four of the last five majors played and, aged just 26 and 22 respectively, they are likely to dominate the game at the highest level for some time to come.
He added: “I think it’s just the competitiveness of feeling what it’s like to play a tournament”.
Besides, he said his short game has remained sharp because he has been working on it all along.
Beem, who will be consolidating his Sky Sports analysis part with playing in the competition this week, is unyielding that McIlroy can defeat any rust in his amusement to get himself into controversy for the title on Sunday.
According to a story written by Gary D’Amato in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, McIlroy said he’s been preparing for his return. That’s because he wasn’t eligible for the World Golf Championship at Firestone for the first time in his career. I wanted to play four rounds in a row and I thought Bridgestone might be a good way to do that.
And he feels that his enforced mid-season break could actually help his efforts to win the US PGA Tour’s play-offs.
Advertisement
Some might make Spieth favourite, given his hot streak this year, but I’d argue that he and McIlroy should be joint favourites.
