Despite four majors and 24 PGA Tour wins, the incessant nitpicking and scrutiny of Rory McIlroy’s game has arguably never been higher. His putting coach, eight-time PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon, has reached the point that he’s ready to start pushing back on the negative narrative.

While appearing on Golf Channel’s ‘Golf Today’, Faxon had plenty to say regarding McIlroy and the fuss that revolves around him falling short in majors the last nine years.

“He didn’t have a great putting couple of days but he had a great final round and a great putting week,” Faxon said regarding McIlroy’s Open performance. “And you know, when Rory McIlroy finishes fifth in a major, tied for sixth in a major, the world is going to end according to some of the media.

“The guy is a hell of a player. He hasn’t finished out of the top 10 in a tournament it seems like the last seven events. He’s played very well in majors except for the Masters this year.”

Faxon’s main point is that the consistency of McIlroy’s strong showings is too often overlooked.

“It bugs me to no end, and what particularly bugs me, and I hope whoever posted this one is listening now, because when other instructors want to criticise Rory’s stroke or Rory or potentially me, when they don’t know anything about how a player thinks and what motivates them, what drives them, it’s beyond reproach.”

"We had that one session on Monday afternoon and I went to Bay Hill and had the best putting week of my career."

Rory McIlroy describes the his first putting lesson with Brad Faxon that began his road back to World No. 1: https://t.co/Syp9mR9aVn pic.twitter.com/W71Wmc9rMn

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) February 3, 2020

Faxon went into detail on the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club stating that McIlroy’s performance should’ve been enough to win most majors and that sometimes a player just gets beat by another pro having a monumental week.

“He knows the history of golf well enough to know that his second-place score at the US Open LACC would have won a lot of other US Opens, maybe every other one except for Brooks Koepka’s at Erin Hills, and the great play of Wyndham Clark, the chip shots that he made on the back nine to get up and down.

“Sometimes those things get stolen away from a player and Rory really didn’t have to hang his head on anything there and this is going to make him come out even stronger and better in my opinion.”

The golf year isn’t over for McIlroy as the 34-year-old still has three significant events coming up on his calendar. After going 0-for-4 on 2023 majors, McIlroy had this to say at Royal Liverpool: “I think about trying to go and win a fourth FedEx Cup in a couple weeks’ time, go try and win a fifth Race to Dubai, go and win a fifth Ryder Cup. I just keep looking forward.”

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When you win four majors in two years, as Brooks Koepka did between June 2017 and May 2019, you don’t have to worry about your reputation for performing under pressure. The proof is in the pudding — you can’t succeed that many times on the game’s biggest stages unless you’re clutch. That was Koepka’s life, and it helped his image that everything he did, from his game to his personality, spoke of a confidence bordering on aggression. He was the consummate killer, having filled the void left by Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, and it didn’t seem at all unrealistic to argue about whether he might threaten 10 majors by the time his career was spent.

Things changed.

Or, more accurately, they were already changing even in the midst of this run. Here’s how Koepka has fared in the last six majors when he’s been somewhere near contention:

• 2019 Masters: Tied for the lead heading into 12, makes double bogey, plays 3 under the rest of the way but loses to Tiger by a shot.
• 2019 PGA Championship: Holds a seemingly insurmountable seven-shot lead on the field heading into the final round, reaches 13-under by the 10th hole, then falls off a cliff, making five bogeys in the last eight holes. Only Dustin Johnson’s equally rough pressure play down the stretch saves the day for Koepka, who nearly blew the biggest final round lead in major history.
• 2019 US Open: Fights to within a shot of Gary Woodland on the back nine, but plays the last seven holes in one-over, with no birdies, to lose by three.
• 2021 PGA Championship: Takes a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson on the first hole on Sunday, immediately makes double-bogey, finishes with a 74, the second-worst score of anyone in the top 16, to lose by two.
• 2021 US Open: Shoots a respectable Sunday 69 to finish T-4, but was arguably never a real threat to Jon Rahm.
• 2023 Masters: Starts Sunday leading by four strokes, and the final round leading by two, shoots 75 — tied for the worst score among anyone in the top 33 — to lose by four.

Even with the lone win in that stretch, that’s clearly not the record of someone who plays his best golf under pressure, and I only list them all to illustrate how quickly things change in professional golf (and in Koepka’s case, how that change can get worse). When we think of someone who “chokes” — a harsh word, and not very accurate even in the best cases — what comes to mind are players who have never won a major. What’s harder to understand is that this particular phenomenon of choking can happen to anyone, including players who have previously won majors and been among the best pressure performers in the game.

Rory McIlroy. Christian Pietersen

McIlroy is the best possible parallel here. Like Koepka, he won four majors in a short span of time — in his case, just over three years, culminating in the two-major season of 2014. Like Koepka, his game (when healthy) has remained at the upper echelons of the sport, and like Koepka, he’s found himself in contention time and again. And like Koepka, he’s managed to lose in what seems like every conceivable way, and is no longer what anyone objective would consider a strong pressure performer in majors.

Spieth’s career has always been a little more chaotic, but he’s another near analogue — he wins three majors in just over two years, and while his game dipped for various mechanical reasons (unlike Koepka whose form seems to have been almost wholly the result of a serious injury), he too hasn’t been the same player under the gun. Spieth and McIlroy even seem to share the habit of making runs at majors late in the game when their surging momentum is exciting, but past the point at which they have anything beyond a faint hope of catching the leader. What Spieth accomplished Sunday Augusta mirrored Rory’s late race up the leaderboard a year earlier.

The “why” here can be hard to discern. Why, everything else being equal, could a player who has proven his chops under intense pressure suddenly lose his nerve? Could it be a conscious or subconscious retreat from the intensity of life at the top, as we seemed to witness with Rory in 2015 and 2016? Could it be — getting really theoretical — natural changes in human behaviour as we age into our late 20s, with our brains maturing to become more risk-averse but perhaps lose the warrior edge in the bargain? Could it be a single disastrous or near-disastrous result that sticks in the head, a la Koepka at the 2019 PGA?

Here, it’s instructive to look at the example of Tony Jacklin, the English golfer famous for his Ryder Cup captaincies who won the Open Championship in 1969 and became the first British golfer to win the US Open in decades in 1970. At the 1972 Open, though, a combination of bad luck (Lee Trevino chipping in from all over the course) and a ruinous three-putt at the 17th cost him more than just the Claret Jug — it cost him the ability to ever compete at a major again. “I was done after that,” he told James Corrigan of The Telegraph years later. “It knocked the stuffing out of me…something, I don’t know what, died inside me that day.”

Jacklin was 28.

There are appeals and drawbacks to each of these explanations, supporting and contradictory evidence, and whatever combination makes up the truth is not only beyond us, but probably beyond the players themselves. What we know for sure is that when the pressure bug strikes, it can last a long time. McIlroy has said several times that his current quest to win now feels like chasing his first major rather than his fifth. His victories can’t fortify him, because the failures are much closer in memory and resonate more when the pressure reaches a fever pitch. Time’s erosive effect on the pressure centers of the brain can be even quicker and harsher than the physical ravages, with the one consolation being that “clutch” is something you might be able to get back.

McIlroy hasn’t gotten it back yet. Neither has Spieth. Neither, clearly, has Koepka. These once-clutch players, among the best in their generation, are now mired in the struggle to find their best game when a major is on the line. They looked indomitable, just as players like Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm look indomitable today under similar circumstances. It could happen to them, too. In fact, it probably will happen to them. In this sport, at least, there is nothing constant in the character that makes you clutch for life. It may be an attribute you have for a little while, but consider it on loan from the universe; just as time steals distance, and strength, and endurance, it can also steal your nerve.

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By Brian Wacker
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — In two starts this year, Tiger Woods has missed the cut (at the Genesis Open) and finished in a tie for 23rd (the Farmers Insurance Open). Not exactly run-to-the-betting-counter type stuff as Woods’ play, like some of his tee shots, has been a bit all over the place.

Still, some of his peers like enough of what they’ve seen. “He’s close, really close,” Rory McIlory said of Woods’ game last week.

On Tuesday, Padraig Harrington took it a step further.

“I do believe he will win another major,” Harrington said from the Honda Classic, where Woods will play for the second straight week for the first time since last February, when he missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, flew to Dubai, then withdrew before the start of the second round because of back spasms.

Woods’ last major victory came in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. His last top-10 finish in one came at the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield, where he tied for sixth. Since then, he has played in just seven total majors — none in the last two years — missing the cut four times and finishing inside the top 40 just once, a tie for 17th at the 2015 Masters.

“Will he get to 18? “ Harrington continued. “I think the odds would be against him getting to 18, but I would be pretty sure, if you look at any of the great players in the game of golf, they always won a major later in their career.”

To Harrington’s point, 21 players age 42 or older have won a major, the most recent of those being Phil Mickelson, who won the Claret Jug at Murifield at age 43 in 2013. Nicklaus was 46 when he won his final major at Augusta National in 1986, six years after his last.

“He will definitely get another major and his game is good enough to do that, from the outside looking in,” Harrington said. “It’s just not good enough to do it on demand.”

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By Joel Beall
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y — There are hard courses, there are absolute bulls, and there is Shinnecock Hills. One of the five founding USGA clubs, the Southampton venue is consistently ranked as one of the toughest tracks by Golf Digest panelists. It’s an opinion evidenced in past U.S. Open scores at Shinnecock, with just two players breaking par in the championship’s last visit. If a player wants to test their mettle, there’s no better examination in the country.

Unless you’re Justin Thomas, that is.

The Player of the Year favorite, speaking with the media at Glen Oaks Club on Wednesday ahead of the Northern Trust, mentioned that he and Rickie Fowler visited Shinnecock, home of next year’s U.S. Open, over the weekend. To say they tamed the beast would be putting it lightly.

“It was soft and slow. Rickie and I played it and we both shot the easiest 65s ever,” Thomas said. “I’m almost like upset that I did that because I know it’s going to be so impossible next year.”

“Easiest 65s ever.” Those crackling sounds you just heard were dozens of Shinnecock members choking on their prime-rib lunch.

“But you could see where they are going to narrow the fairways down,” the PGA champ continued. “I mean, the greens are going to be like (a table top). It’s going to be quite the test.”

Sam Greenwood

The 24-year-old also said he talked with USGA executive director Mike Davis, warning him not to get over-the-top with the setup.

“I just said, look, you have to be careful,” Thomas said. “It’s one of those courses you don’t need to do very much to it for it to be a U.S. Open course. It’s long. It has the slope…Yeah, it could be interesting.”

In one sense, the USGA should be wary of the layout, especially after Shinnecock’s last championship was draped in controversy over its ridiculous conditions. Conversely, after Brooks Koepka tied the U.S. Open scoring record — coupled with JT and Rickie lighting Shinnecock on fire — the governing body could be out for blood.

Of course, if Thomas carries over his dominance to 2018, putting pins in bunkers won’t be enough to slow this cat down.

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Now that Sergio Garcia has the green jacket, who are the best active players that lack a major championship on the résumé? We discuss.

1. EXCLUDED: Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm

Rahm’s played in just two majors as a professional, Thomas only seven, and they have a collective age of 45. Let’s give them some room to work before rushing to judgement.

2. Lee Westwood

Owner of 42 professional wins, Lord knows he’s come close at the majors, with 18 top-10s and three runner-ups. However, time is running out for the former No. 1 in the world, who turns 44 this April.

3. Hideki Matsuyama

At 25, he’s on the border of being too young for the list. Conversely, he’s up to No. 4 in the world rankings, and has already made 18 major appearances (two as an amateur). With 13 professional wins and five top-10 major finishes, Matsuyama clearly has what it takes to get it done on the biggest stage. This is likely a case of when, not if, he’ll become Japan’s first major winner.

4. Branden Grace

Prior to the Masters, Grace had four top-five finishes in the last seven majors. And while he still may be relatively unknown to Americans, Grace has 11 professional victories across the PGA, European and Sunshine tours. Not too shabby for a 28-year-old.

5. Rickie Fowler

He’s cooled off since logging top-fives in every 2014 major, but Fowler has seven career victories, including a triumph at the “fifth major,” the Players Championship. With his distance and approach game, Fowler has the attributes to compete for multiple major titles.

6. Patrick Reed

Already has five PGA Tour wins at age 26, including one in each of the past four seasons. But while he’s an undeniable presence at national team events, he’s been absent from majors, failing to log a top-10 now in 13 tries.

7. Matt Kuchar

It’s a bit of a shock Kuchar hasn’t won more than seven times on tour. That said, the 2012 Players Championship is a helluva résumé builder. Has eight major top-10s, though at age 38, the clock is ticking.

8. Brooks Koepka

How did a guy with two wins (Phoenix Open, Turkish Airlines Open) make our list? Koepka has seven top-15 finishes in majors since 2014.

9. Ian Poulter

The bane of American Ryder Cup fans, Poulter has 12 European Tour wins and eight major top-10s. Turned 41 in January, but can still be feisty, especially at this year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

10. Brandt Snedeker

Sneds has enjoyed a prosperous career, highlighted by a Tour Championship win and FedEx Cup title. Yet, while he does boast eight top-10 finishes, the 36-year-old hasn’t quite figured out the major equation.

11. Bill Haas

Six career victories and a FedEx Cup champion, but Haas owns a brutal track record at majors: the 34-year-old has posted just one top-10.

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World No.2 Rory McIlroy is the defending champion at this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, a tournament that is intrinsically linked to the Northern Irishman’s career. The Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club was where he made his first cut in a European Tour event back in 2007, and where he got his first win in 2009.

Scroll down to watch the video

Related: Video: McIlroy hopes Woods has ‘one more crack at it’
Related: Why the Desert Classic is the Major of the Middle East

With two Omega Dubai Desert Classic titles and a pair of wins at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, the 26-year-old has been a dominant force in the Dubai desert. He is of course yet to taste victory in the one major that eludes him, but told us that if he can make a good start at this year’s Masters, he likes his chances.

The post Video: Rory McIlroy wants fast Masters start appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Scroll down to watch the video

When asked if there would be another chapter in Woods’ career, McIlroy’s candid response left little doubt as to the scale of the task facing the ailing American legend.

“I’d like to be optimistic and say yes, I’d love to see him have one more crack at it, but I think we just have to wait for him to overcome all his health issues, and then it’s about trying to get his golf game back,” said McIlroy, who is defending his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title at Emirates Golf Club this week.

Rory McIlroy on Tiger Woods

“It’s going to be a long process, but hopefully he can put the pieces together again and at least if he can have one more crack at it for a year or two, I think the golfing public would love to see that and we’d all love to see it. Hopefully [he can] bow out with a couple of good performances, you know, he’s got nothing left to prove in this game.”

The 26-year-old four-time major winner also said that it might take a combination of himself, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler to fill the shoes left vacated by Woods.

“He is one of the best players, if not the best player ever to play. If you look at his record, he won his majors in basically a 10-year span, and he won 14 of them. It was one of the best stretches of golf we’ve ever seen and I’m not sure it will ever be emulated. He’s definitely left his stamp on this game, and it’s a pretty big stamp. These guys that are coming up, the likes of myself, Jordan, Jason and Rickie, they’re pretty big shoes to fill and I think it will take not just one of us, but a few of us to fill that. If we can fight it out for those majors over the next few years I think that will be great for golf.”

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