Return of the Mac!

This week sees golf’s big hitters advance to the shores of Britain. The sport’s third major of the year is up for grabs in the shape of The Open Championship, or more internationally known, The British Open. Only three weeks have passed since the last major was contested for, with Northern Ireland’s hotshot Rory McIlroy winning the US Open title.

With McIlroy’s fine victory stateside, many are looking at him to continue his good run and clinch the Claret Jug at the Kent course of Royal St George’s. With all eyes now fixed on this year’s Open Championship, and the much fancied runners and riders to take the title, I think a timeout is needed to give plaudits to Rory McIlroy and extraordinary triumph in the US Open after his well publicised disappointment at the US Masters.

For those who are indeed unfamiliar with Rory McIlroy’s year so far, to briefly summarize he was leading the US Masters by four shots going into the final day of play. Despite holding a healthy lead after three days, McIlroy saw his opportunity of securing a first win in a major go up in smoke in the most spectacular of fashion. Anyone who watched the collapse of McIlroy’s Masters in the tournament’s fourth round, might have expected that suffering such a setback would take years at the very least for a sportsperson to recover.

But the manner in which Rory McIlroy shook off his Augusta agony in a two month timeframe between the two majors is commendable. Reaching success at the very next opportunity at the US Open, and accomplishing victory by leading from the opening day to the final round, a similar position in which he failed to capitalise on at the Masters, might have put off many an individual. However, this time McIlroy would not be denied and fashioned out a margin that only grew as he crossed the finish line. In doing so McIlroy broke at least a dozen records in the process. A true test of character to overcome failure, and retain the belief to achieve in double quick time with the horrors of Augusta fresh in the mind, is highly admirable from the 22 year old.

In completing victory, McIlroy’s win has made me view the sport in a different light. I freely admit that I was not a massive fan of golf, and had a lukewarm admiration for the game. But when a young Tiger Woods burst onto the scene and would decimate his opponents time after time on a golf course, I soon recognised that he and we were watching something special. Not to mention the clever way he was marketed, it would have been pretty hard to escape the machine of Woods in any capacity.

In any event, with Rory McIlroy recent win, it seems to be a case of history repeating as he is commanding an almost similar frenzy and hype to his American counterpart. Perhaps it is somewhat appropriate for the Northern Irishman as he hails from a town named Holywood. But perspective must be brought to the discussion. Comparing Rory McIlroy to Tiger Woods in terms of immediate golfing statue and success is grossly unfair particularly for McIlroy. He is still on an upward curve still learning and shaping his craft. Woods will be remembered as one of the game’s legends and is still golf’s ultimate box office ticket. His non-appearance from this week’s Open Championship will leave a gapping hole to proceedings at Royal St George’s. But Rory McIlroy is imposing a positive freshness to the game, and is attracting a new crowd of followers of which I like to say that I am one of them.

Perhaps as a sport golf is seen as quite elitist, stuffy, and inflexible to the viewing public. But with such characters like Rory McIlroy, golf is now young and daring, and just little less square. McIlroy has caused a stir much like Woods did after his US Masters win way back in 1997. With that master class all the years ago, it is quite profound that Woods could be the cause of an indelible effect we are experiencing today in golf. The golfing world is now the playground to an influx of young starlets, or what I like to call the infants of Woods, that taking the game by storm and playing a Woods-like swashbuckling brand of golf.

Watching Woods in his pomp and studying his kind of exciting play whilst they were approaching teenage adolescence, many of the game’s young twenty-something’s today, like the former world number one Martin Kaymer, Ryo Jshikawa, and Rickie Fowler, are just a few names that are or have uniquely stamped their mark on the sport. Fellow young guns like the 2011 US Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel, and reigning Open Champion who will be looking to defend his title this week, Louis Oasthuizen, are all characters that appear to be staying for good. A group perhaps spearheaded by the man of the moment, Rory McIlroy. Food for thought if you are the old guard and your name is Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods.

Exciting times for the golfing fanatic, though I do not doubt that somewhere a certain Mr Woods will still have something to say about this if his dodgy leg can ever hold up around eighteen holes. Expect the fourteen grand slam winner to be casting a beady eye over events at this year’s Open Championship. I know I will be.