Rory McIlroy just won the US Open in the most impressive fashion in the history of the tournament. There is no doubt he kicked Congressional's ass in a way that nobody imagined. Most of the players said that the setup was much easier than most US Opens, but -16 is the type of score you expect to see during normal PGA tour stops, definitely not what is generally considered the hardest tournament to win.
Back in April after McIlroy had squandered a chance to win the Masters by shooting an 80 in the final round, I speculated that I thought he would still win multiple major championships, or become Sergio Garcia. Well, it only took him one more try to rocket pass Sergio, and all other up and comers on tour. There's not doubt he's supremely talented, and by all accounts his putting is now under control, so physically he has all the tools to win multiple championships. The question becomes with this kid, is the fact that he is still a kid and does he have the mental makeup to continue to dominate. I think he absolutely can, golf is a sport where it is pretty easy to stay grounded and by all accounts McIlroy is fairly focused. He's not laser focused like Tiger, he's much more good natured, but he does clearly have a competitive streak. It's hard not to root for him either, because right now the game absolutely needs him. There are some very serious questions about whether Tiger can ever come back, and in the last 12 months the number one ranked player has been a revolving door of guys that nobody really cares about. McIlroy can change all that, and that's a lot of pressure for a kid in his early twenties, but he seems like he has the right kind of makeup to take over the throne. The thing I really like about him; despite being from Europe, he doesn't dress like a color blind idiot. I'm looking at you Luke Donald and Ian Poulter. Here are a few other random observations from the US Open:
- Jason Day finished second and he is right on the cusp of becoming really, really good. I don't watch a ton of golf anymore like I used to, but every time I catch a tournament he is always in contention. His game is all about consistency, he doesn't do anything really outstanding, but he's just very good from tee to green. Unfortunately, he chose to shoot -8, in a tournament where McIlroy went so low.
- There was a lot of talk about the wet weather making the course so much easier than normal US Opens, and that is true for sure. However, I watched a lot of the tournament and the course just didn't seem to be setup all that tough. Fairways seemed wide, rough wasn't that long, and pin positions were pretty favorable. The USGA will tell you that is all a bunch of junk, but I can't help but think that they knew without Tiger in the field, they may need to do something to spark the casual fan to tune in on Sunday, and what better way to do that than to have some low numbers on the board.
- American golf is in trouble. The two best American golfers right now are Steve Stricker...and...and...Davis Love III? Nothing against either one of those guys, but they aren't exactly world beaters are they?
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