Rory McIlroy recovers to make strong start in Shanghai

If it serves as accepted golfing wisdom that Rory McIlroy responds effectively in a chase, the continued prominence of Danny Willett could work in the favour of the Northern Irishman. It without question boosts a wider narrative.

McIlroy is the clear favourite to claim the European Tour’s Race to Dubai order of merit title this month. In Willett, though, McIlroy may yet have a live challenger; around 400,000 Euros separated the pair heading into this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions in China.

Willett’s opening 65 at the Sheshan International Golf Club was merely the continuation of form which will almost certainly earn him a Ryder Cup berth next September.

The more immediate question is whether or not the Yorkshireman can pose a live threat to McIlroy’s status between now and the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship on 22 November. Willett’s consistency alone is worthy of the respect afforded to him by McIlroy.

“I haven’t dropped out of the top two in the order of merit all year,” Willett said. “So it has been a good one. I suppose when you win the Nedbank Challenge, you have a pretty good leapfrog on everyone else at the beginning of the season and it has been nice to be up there.

“Rory overtook me somewhere in the middle and it’s been a case of trying to claw it back every since. We have two-and-a-half weeks to try and claw a little more.

“If you are within touching distance going to Dubai, it could be pretty interesting there. If you can do it, great. If not? It has obviously been nice, being up there and trying to compete for it.” In short, Willett isn’t the type to shout from rooftops.

McIlroy won’t readily dismiss Willett’s threat. The pair played together at last week’s Turkish Airlines Open, which gave the four-time major winner a close-up opportunity to watch Willett’s well-rounded and continually improving game.

“Danny has been playing well for a while now,” McIlroy acknowledged. “I always knew it was going to be tough; even though I had a slight lead in the Race to Dubai, there were so many guys who were close enough. Especially with the big prize funds in these events.

“I knew I was going to have to play well to win it. I still am going to have to play well.”

This has been a curious McIlroy year, started in such impressive fashion but punctured by an ankle injury. He denies any notion of 2015 being akin to 2013 when he also failed to return a major championship. Or, indeed, extra incentive for next year now prevailing.

“I don’t think it was my lack of game or form that kept me from winning a major,” McIlroy explained. “I felt like it was there and it just didn’t quite happen. Whereas in ’13, I played crap. That was really it.

“So I’m not as frustrated as I would have been in ’13 because I know my game is at the level it needs to be to win majors. It’s just a matter of going out and doing it. The injury kept me out of at least one major and then I was still rehabbing it at the same time whenever I played in the USPGA.

“I’m motivated just like I would be motivated any other year to go out and try and play the majors well next year, and try and get another couple in the bag.”

McIlroy’s first round of 68 on the outskirts of Shanghai would probably have been acceptable on Thursday morning, the former world No1 having spent the previous two days suffering from food poisoning. There were three consecutive missed opportunities on his closing stretch, though, which prompted frustration.

McIlroy revealed his illness had triggered a 10lbs weight loss. “I stepped on the scales, I shouldn’t have done it but I’m under 70 kilos now for the first time in a long time,” he said.

“150lbs, 68 kilos. I can’t remember the last time I was this light. I think it is more a case of rehydration now. Or a few burgers maybe, I don’t know.”

Adam Scott was hardly forthcoming on the release of a book by his part-time caddie, Steve Williams. The tome has inevitably created headlines, given Williams’ earlier and lengthy association with Tiger Woods.“I haven’t read it,” said Scott, who doesn’t have Williams on the bag in China.

The Australian also refuted the possibility of this work being a distraction at future events, such as majors, where Williams appears. “I don’t think so, although I don’t know exactly what is in the book,” Scott said. “I think not. I think everyone probably knows what to expect.”

Insert punchline, indeed.

(Guardian service)