Golf Channel
After another fine finish in a winless major championship, golf pundits everywhere are wondering: Will Rory McIlroy claim a fifth major championship?
There’s no doubt McIlroy has the talent and the game to do it – and yet here we are, nine years and counting since his last major victory, despite the fact that McIlroy has scored 20 top 10s in the majors since winning the 2014 PGA Championship.
What to do about McIlroy’s many near-misses was a hot topic on Golf Channel’s ‘Live From the Open Championship’ in the wake of Brian Harman’s six stroke victory and McIlroy’s T6 finish at Royal Liverpool on Sunday night. Jaime Diaz kicked off the discussion by suggesting that McIlroy’s success early in his career made him a little careless about improving some areas of his game.
“I’m not saying he went down,” Diaz said. “I don’t think he was fully aware that the other players were improving and that there were things he could have done to improve his scoring as well as his phenomenal leadership of the ball.”
Diaz then cited the sometimes erratic, iron play and short game of McIlroy as possible culprits for his failure to win another major tournament.
“I think his game is more suited to the weekly PGA Tour type of golf than major championship golf because those nuances he probably didn’t develop to the fullest for a super player cost him on weekends in the majors,” he said.
Then, Brundle Chambly weighed in.
“It’s like he’s trying to win his first major championship again,” said Chamblee. “Except now, he’s not in his physical prime, and he has the weight of the world on his back.”
Chamble then compared each less significant year to another brick in the building’s wall, making it harder for McIlroy to break through.
When “Live From” co-host Brad Faxon dismissed the notion that McIlroy, 34, was past his physical prime, Chamblee made his point.
“You reach your physical fame around 26, 27, 28,” said Chamblee. “Now I know you think he’s ripped off, which he is He is ripped, ok? But you reach your physical head 26, 27.”
Chambly then cited footballers who were dismissed from teams at that age, because statistics show that players have outgrown their physical acuity in terms of mental and visual acuity, nerves and speed.
“I realize he’s ripping it off and it looks like a Greek god,” Chamble continued. “But I’m talking about him, at 34, he doesn’t have as much runway in front of him as he did when he won his last major championship.”
Faxon countered with evidence of McIlroy’s athletic prowess, citing McIlroy’s impressive peloton stats and the fact that McIlroy told him he believed he could continue to compete until he was 50, which seemed incomprehensible to him when he first turned professional.
Faxon responded, “This 32-year-old is kind of the beginning of a golfer’s career.” In fact, Phil Mickelson famously won all six of his majors after reaching the age of 34.
One of McIlroy’s traits that the entire panel could agree on was his grinding ability.
“As far as we talk about it, we talk a lot about Rory and not winning a major, can you imagine what’s going on in his head and now he has to wait ‘until April next year? Faxon asked.
Another thing we can all agree on? The Masters 2024 can’t get here soon enough.
To see the entire “Live From” discussion on McIlroy, click here here.