Game's greats line up to praise the new chosen one

GOLF:SPARE A thought for South African golfer Rory Sabbatini. As the woman on Twitter put it, "our family just call McIlroy "Rory" now, it's like we know him." Forever more, then, when a cry of "Rory! Rory!" goes up during a major, Sabbatini will just keep his head down, get on with his business, assuming the supportive holler isn't directed at him.

And he’d probably be right. There’s really only one Rory now.

And that’s the conclusion, too, of several of the game’s greats who, after his cruise around the Congressional, just referred to the fella by his first name when they queued up to shower him with plaudits. No need for surnames any more (Tiger knows the feeling), no one will wonder if they’re referring to poor old Sabbatini.

Indeed, Greg Norman was so wonderstruck on Sunday he was prompted to text NBC’s Jimmy Roberts, who read the Australian’s tribute out on air: “Europe lost a genius this year (Seve Ballesteros), but has found his replacement. Pure genius and a display of the most natural golf ability we’ve seen in a very, very long time.”

Being hailed as Seve’s “replacement” would, you’d imagine, leave McIlroy feeling a touch uncomfortable, no matter how well intended the compliment might have been, but such is his life now.

If he wasn’t being compared to Seve, then, the gazillion dollar question was whether he could match Tiger’s major record and then, having done that, overtake Jack Nicklaus, winner of just the 18.

USA Todayeven ran a poll on the topic: "Do you expect McIlroy to chase down Tiger and Jack?"

36 per cent: “No. Let us not get stupid over one victory.”

35 per cent: “No. But he’ll pass a lot of others.”

17 per cent: “Yes. That US Open was a major announcement.”

12 per cent: “Yes. What good is life if we can’t dream?”

Pádraig Harrington, by the sounds of it, would have been among the 17 per cent. “If you are going to talk about someone challenging Jack’s record, there’s your man. Winning majors at 22 with his talent, he’d have 20 more years so probably 100 more majors in him where he could be competitive. It would give him a great chance.”

Nicklaus himself didn’t reveal how he’d have voted in the poll when NBC brought him on the phone during their coverage of the final round, but he had no doubts that the 2011 US Open wouldn’t be the last of McIlroy memorable days.

“I think this kid’s going to have a great career – I don’t think there’s any question about it. He’s humble when he needs to be humble and confident when he needs to be confident. I like his moxie – he’s cocksure, and you’ve got to have that.”

Gary Player was no less effusive in his praise, two years after he had forecast that McIlroy “could turn out to be the best player in the world in his time – if he goes about it and is managed correctly”.

“I am so excited about this young man,” he said yesterday, “having done something that is quite incredible, not only for himself but for his friends, his mother and his father and also for the great country of Ireland. This is the first major of what I expect to be more to come.”

And then there was Colin Montgomerie, who spent much of Sunday night reminding Skyviewers that McIlroy was on "my Ryder Cup team", lest they'd forgotten.

He marvelled at McIlroy’s achievement, telling the 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell, sitting beside him, that “there have been some great (European) players over those years before you (and Rory) — myself and Nick Faldo and Woosnam and Lyle and the late Seve” who had tried but failed to win the US Open.

McDowell said nothing, but you sensed he was marvelling at Monty’s modesty.

But the acclaim didn’t just come from the golfing world. After winning his first round match at Wimbledon yesterday Rafael Nadal was asked if he’d watched any of the US Open the night before. “Yes, I stayed up until 1.0 in the morning to watch Rory,” he confessed. That can’t have made his opponent, American Michael Russell, feel any better, even a sleep-deprived Nadal beat him in straight sets.

“In my opinion he played a perfect round of golf,” he said, “Rory is perfect.” By then, though, Nadal had already declared his admiration for “Rory”, who, he said, he had sent a congratulatory text. “What he’s been doing is really something unbelievable. He’s probably got one of the nicest swings in the world, if not the nicest. In my opinion, right now he’s playing at a different level to the rest. So for sure he is an inspiration. I admire him a lot.”

At this point, you’d guess, “Rory” was most probably blushing. But he’ll humbly accept the accolades and will trust that the forecasts of many more magical days to come will prove accurate. What good is life if we can’t dream, after all?