Can McIlroy’s First Win in 18 Months Light a Fire in Him Again?
Over the course of the last 18 months, questions have been asked about Rory Mcllroy’s hunger to be the greatest the game has ever seen. The 32-year-old had gone a year and a half without a win whilst dropping out of the top ten in the world. Needless to say, no one was having a discussion about him potentially beating Jack Nicklaus’ major record anymore. That was a debate that was officially dead in the water. In fact, the new topic of conversation in golfing circles was whether Mcllroy would ever win another PGA Tour event.
After all, the Northern Irishman had accumulated over $250 million in his career and seemed to have subsequently lost that drive that made him such a sensation when he was coming through the European Tour. Indeed, the four-time major champion wasn’t born into any sort of wealth whatsoever, far from it.
Whilst growing up, Mcllroy’s parents both worked two jobs each in order to give their son the best chance of achieving his dream. It was evident that Mcllroy was doing everything in his power to repay that sacrifice when he first arrived on tour. It wasn’t quite a rags-to-riches story but in what seemed like the blink of an eye, this phenomenal Northern Irish golfer had brought the game to its knees and accumulated eye-watering wealth in the process.
But then the wonder kid went quiet or at least, the charge to be the greatest abruptly stopped.
With a quarter of a billion dollars in the bank before the age of 30, it seemed as if a light inside Mcllroy had gone out, but it was emphatically switched back on during early May 2021 when he found refuge at a course that has become his second home.
Indeed, Mcllroy got back to winning ways at the Wells Fargo Championship, a tournament he has now won for the third time. There is something about the Quail Hollow layout that brings out the best in Mcllroy and the hope is that he will now be able to use this victory to propel him back to the summit of the sport.
Return of the
Rors. 🏆@McIlroyRory wins @WellsFargoGolf for the third time and his 19th career
title. pic.twitter.com/9QGkQWx7On
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PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 9, 2021
The 32-year-old’s victory in North Carolina is certainly a step in the right direction as it has moved him into the top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings. The Holywood-born golfer is no stranger to success in this season-long tournament having won it last in 2019 and by doing so, also taking home the $15 million bonus on offer to the champion.
The lucrative series begins in August at Liberty National Golf Course in New Jersey for the Northern Trust tournament. Mcllroy’s latest win should mean he arrives in the Garden State as one of the favorites to start the playoffs with a win. There will be a huge amount of interest in that opening weekend of the FedEx Cup eliminators and needless to say, betting on sports in New Jersey is already popular. But when the PGA’s best jet into town for the most rewarding golf series in the world, this phenomenon takes on new meaning. Indeed, the whole state comes to a virtual standstill.
Many of these New Jerseyans will be backing Mcllroy to carry on trending in the right direction and to be at his best when the season-ending playoffs begin.
Congratulations
@McIlroyRory! pic.twitter.com/vhfnyVZ2hD
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The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 9, 2021
Only time will tell if a lasting fire has been lit inside the most talented golfer in a generation, but there’s no doubt that the Mcllroy strut is back.
