McIlroy knows patience is key

Philip Reidtalks to the young Ulster player who is unperturbed by being made one of the favourites for the title

THE WANAMAKER Trophy doesn’t usually befriend youth. In fact, if Rory McIlroy were to win this 92nd edition of the US PGA Championship, he’d become the youngest winner since a certain Tom Creavy captured the huge 27lb trophy in 1931.

Such a weight of history, though, does not affect the 21-year-old Ulsterman who adheres more to the belief that if it is your time, it is your time!

Of being made one of the favourites for the title, McIlroy remarked, “It’s fine with me, it makes no difference. Everyone has to play the same golf course and hit good shots and hole some putts. And that’s what I will be trying to do.”

McIlroy, who was third on his debut at Hazeltine last year, comes in here on the back of a tied-third finish in the British Open and a tied-ninth in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

In between, of course, he had a disappointing 3 Irish Open – where he was tied-35th – but, even in admitting that he dropped the head on that occasion and couldn’t wait to get off the course as things went against him, McIlroy claims that having patience is something he is still learning to accept.

“I think at this age it should be a struggle to curb it, because everything’s still new to me and I want to do well. I want to try and cement my place as one of the best players in the world.

“There’s been glimpses of it this year, at Quail Hollow and St Andrews, where I’ve really lived up to my own expectations. It’s just a matter of putting four rounds together on a week like this and you can really go forward from there.

“It would be great to win a major championship soon but I’m still trying to play it down a bit. I feel as if my game’s in great shape and there’s no reason why I shouldn’t think I can go out there and win.”

As recently as the Irish Open in Killarney, however, Darren Clarke – one of McIlroy’s influences growing up – had a quiet but not so discreet word in his ear. “Darren could obviously see I was getting a little bit upset because I felt the first two days at Killarney I could have got to 11 or 12 under par and be leading. So it was just, ‘calm down, you’re fine’ and ‘patience, you muppet’. I said, ‘would you practice what you preach?’.”

Anyway, that little exchange has left McIlroy in little doubt that patience is the little ingredient he needs to add to his ability with 14 clubs on any given day.

“Patience, that’s the hardest part in getting yourself into position (on the back nine in a major),” agreed McIlroy yesterday. “If you look at that win in Quail Hollow, I held off Phil Mickelson and (Angel) Cabrera down the stretch. So if I can do that on a golf course like Quail Hollow, then there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to do it here.

“I know it’s a little different, it’s a major. But the idea is the same, trying to the ball in the hole.

“Yeah, patience is the key this week because there’s going to be times you hit the ball in the rough or in one of those deep bunkers and you’re going to have to take your punishment and move on. But there’s a few holes out here that you can make a score and you have got to take advantage of those.”