Walking off the course with�an 6-shot lead going into the weekend of the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy has combined to be the Friday overnight leader in the last two majors boasting a combined lead of 8 shots.
McIlroy went into the final round of the Masters two months ago with a four-shot lead. He ended up�10 shots back of winner Charl Schwartzel.�Ten shots ? in a different direction.
A year ago, McIlroy opened at St. Andrews with a record-tying 63 at the Old Course. Unmerciful weather made scoring impossible and McIlroy ballooned to a second-round 80 which destroyed his chances to win his first major.
The 22-year-old�has had two chances to win major championships in the last 12 months. Neither panned out. Yes, one was not his fault and the other was the product of a single bad hole, but despite what the batting average of Tiger Woods might indicate, major championship opportunities do not come by that often. McIlroy must win this U.S. Open, this weekend, or risk completing a Grand Slam of scar tissue that could mar his young career.
In other words, McIlroy could become Sergio Garcia. Like the Highlander, if McIlroy fails and surrenders opportunities the Spaniard would kill to blunder, then he takes on the role of Garcia as the game?s big loser.
The 1999�PGA Championship, 2002 U.S. Open, ?07 Open Championship and�?08 PGA Championship. There are four that got away from Garcia. He has a handful of others that could have been his with some better breaks. Then again, Garcia is convinced the golf gods have conspired against him.
An 6-shot lead should be as much of a sure thing as, well, Sergio Garcia choking away a major. But if young McIlroy lets this one get away from him ? by act of God or nerves of a Southwest Airlines plane ? he could have a career?s worth of lost opportunities in the span of a year.
If that happens, McIlroy is going to start sounding like the Garcia of his 30s. The Spaniard lost form, lost his heart and had to take the autumn off last season to rediscover both. Even having found half of the equation ? at least enough form to play 36 holes of good tournament golf ? Garcia cannot seem to crack much of a smile about his game.
Then on days like Friday where he plays well enough to sit in a distant third place from McIlroy, he has to face questions about what it feels like to choke away majors. And then he has to give answers to inquiries about the redemptive value of a win to the guy who he trails by nine shots.
?I think it would be great for [McIlroy] to win. He?s a wonderful player, very nice kid,? Garcia said Friday, likely wondering somewhere in his mind how he could have avoided his entire career trajectory.
Garcia did not feign empathy for McIlroy at the Masters when he said, ?Even if what happened at Augusta would have not happened, it would be nice for him to win. I think he deserves it, and hopefully he?ll be able to do it.?
But Garcia sure had to wonder if he is ever going to deserve a major win of his own. That?s probably why he answered a prior question by saying, ?I have bigger worries than Rory McIlroy.?
Garcia may, but the golf world does not.
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