Why Gary Player is Wrong about Rory McIlroy

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

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Gary Player, it seems, has an opinion on just about everything. There was his view that drug taking on the PGA Tour was widespread - an opinion that was quickly retracted when the rest of the golfing world disagreed with him.

There was his opinion that the Atkins Diet was to be avoided at all costs. He has opinions on Tiger Woods, he has opinions on golf balls, he has opinions about health and fitness. You name it and Gary has a view.

In saying that, he is one the best professional golfers of all time and has been a wonderful ambassador for South Africa (most of the time), so perhaps we should listen to his opinions.

And it should surprise nobody that he does have a view about Rory McIlroy. Having once declared that he was certain Tiger Woods would break Jack Nicklaus' record of major victories, Player is now on the Rory McIlroy bandwagon. To be fair though, who isn't?

Last year, Phil Mickelson went to Pinehurst for the US Open, where victory would have made him the latest player to win all four majors during his career. Sadly, he came nowhere close. Fear not though, for Mr Player says that will not happen to McIlroy in April when he arrives at Augusta, looking to become just the sixth player in history to win all four majors.
“I predict that he will do it [in 2015] because The Masters is just made for him," Player said. "There is no golf course I can think of that is made for him more than Augusta National.”

McIlroy had a chance to win the 2011 Masters but suffered a final-round horror show and ended up shooting an 80 after starting the day in the lead. Mind you, he bounced straight back from that by detroying the field at the US Open a few weeks later. He was tied for eighth last year - his best finish in six tries - but blew it with a second-round 77.

Meanwhile, Mickelson’s quest to win the elusive U.S. Open seems to have lost a bit of steam after a T-28 at Pinehurst – where he lost by one stroke in 1999 – and a season in which he recorded just a single top 10. Mickelson turns 45 in June and will try again for the Open at Chambers Bay, a course unfamiliar to virtually everyone but the 2010 US Amateur participants.

“There is no question in my mind [McIlroy] will be the next winner of the career grand slam and he’ll go on to win many more major championships,” Player said. “One can never predict how many – people were saying Tiger Woods could win 30 but nobody knows what is going to happen to your health, nobody knows what’s destined for you in your career. But all being well he’s going to win a lot of majors.”

First of all, I don't recall anybody worth listening to ever predicting that Woods would win 30 majors. It was never going to happen.

With that out of the way, let's take a little time to reflect on McIlroy's chances at Augusta.

He will arrive as a red-hot favourite. Don't forget that he has the Claret Jug and the Wannamaker Trophy safely tucked away at home. Victory would not only give him the career slam but would also have him three-quarters of the way towards achieving something that only Woods has done previously - holding all four major trophies simultaneously.

Can he win The Masters? Yes. Will he win The Masters? Of course. Will he win it in April? I don't think so.

Just imagine the hype that will surround him. And this time it won't just be from the British media. Rory has become a darling of the American public and media too - they love the way he approaches the game because he looks like he is having fun. And most of the time, he is.

They also remember seeing his human side when he suffered the most public of meltdowns at Augusta in 2011. Like everybody on this side of the Atlantic, they believe that the course owes McIlroy one. It's utter nonsense of course.

Look at all the disappointments Greg Norman suffered at The Masters. He never won the tournament he coveted more than any other. McIlroy is too good for Augusta to become his nemesis, but my money will be on Rickie Fowler - and don't be surprised to see Tiger Woods in the frame either.

Rory is a shoo-in for The Open at St Andrews  and he will win The Masters in 2016 or 2017.

Image Credit - @ultimategolf247 Twitter

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Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]