McGinley: McIlroy ready to be Ryder marked man
EUROPE’S captain Paul McGinley is adamant that world No1 Rory McIlroy has the talent and temperament to cope with being the prize scalp for United States stars at next month’s Ryder Cup, following his US PGA Championship triumph.
The 25-year-old became the first man to win back-to-back Majors since Ireland’s Padraig Harrington in 2008 on Sunday night by adding the US PGA crown to the Open title he landed at Hoylake in July.
In the same way that Europe targeted Woods when at the peak of his powers, McGinley believes McIlroy will be pinpointed by the Americans when the competition starts at Gleneagles on 26 September, but believes he will remain unfazed.
“He knows how to deal with being a favourite,” McGinley said. “But it will be something I will be discussing with Rory. I have a number of things to talk to Rory about and that is one of them.
“I don’t want to put too much on his shoulders because he still has events to win before we start thinking about the Ryder Cup but he has been incredibly engaging so far.”
McIlroy will head to Scotland in scintillating form with his final round of 68 at Valhalla proving enough to edge out five-time Major winner Phil Mickelson by a single shot, having finished 16-under-par.
Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson were part of a three-way tie for the lead with Mickelson on the back nine but dropped shots on the closing stretch to end two behind McIlroy, who picked up his third tournament win in succession.
Victory in Louisville also saw McIlroy become the third youngest player, behind Woods and Jack Nicklaus, to win four of golf’s biggest prizes, with the Northern Irishman admitting that the level of his golf has exceeded expectations.
“To win my second Major this year and a fourth by the age of 25 is just incredible,” added McIlroy.
“Winning the Open was huge for me and I said I wanted to back it up. I didn’t think in my wildest dreams I would have a summer like this. I just played the best golf in my life.”
Mickelson’s runner-up finish saw him snatch an automatic qualifying place for the Ryder Cup in the last event to meet US selection criteria.
Fowler, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Walker, Matt Kuchar, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Zach Johnson are the other players to take the nine guaranteed spots. Captain Tom Watson has three discretionary picks to announce by 2 September.