Rory McIlroy's shot in the arm for the PGA Tour and dig in the ribs of Greg Norman with Canadian Open title defence
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Updated 01/09/2022 at 15:06 GMT
Rory McIlroy is the poster boy of the PGA Tour and in a week when they needed him to stand up, he delivered a stunning success to defend his Canadian Open crown. LIV Golf is trying to disrupt the sport but McIlroy served notice of the quality on the tour and had time to fire off a dig at LIV Golf figurehead Greg Norman.
McIlroy digs out Liv Golf chief Norman after defending Canadian Open title
If the PGA Tour could script a storyline in a week of turmoil, the sight of Rory McIlroy delivering a masterclass to defend his RBC Canadian Open title would be it.
LIV Golf has thrown millions (maybe billions) in a bid to disrupt the world of golf; and the PGA Tour has handed suspensions to those who teed it up in St Albans. That sent a message, McIlroy did as well.
Money is no object to LIV Golf, and more players will sign up, but those who crave competition and the thrill of the heat of battle would surely be thinking twice if they had watched McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau slug it out on Sunday.
Thomas and Finau went round in 64 blows, but were made to look ordinary as McIlroy signed for a 62 to win by two.
In recent years, McIlroy has improved his putting statistics - and that left his approach play with the wedge as the gremlin in an otherwise well-oiled machine.
On Sunday at St. George's Golf and Country Club in Ontario, with the masses in support of McIlroy, he put on a wedge-play clinic: high, full swings, knock-down shots, spin-off holders. Ball control at its finest.
At times the ball was on a string. When it was off the string, he appeared to bend it to his will. He chipped in on six, and went within half a roll of repeating the dose on 10.
For 12 holes, he was exemplary. On 13 he missed a tiddler. It was more pressure than an issue with his stroke.
A further miss from close range opened the door for Justin Thomas and they stood on the 17th locked together. Thomas had momentum, but that is not always telling and it swung back in McIlroy’s favour with a two-shot swing.
Thomas’ race was run when he tugged his approach left on the final, and it was appropriate that McIlroy sealed the deal with a stunning wedge approach on 18.
The crowd got their wish, and the sight of masses of golf fans charging up the 18th fairway to watch McIlroy complete the win would have put a smile on the face of PGA Tour officials and left LIV Golf chiefs aware of what they are missing - no matter how much money they throw at players.
One more than Norman
McIlroy has been one of the strongest voices in favour of the PGA Tour and its stance, and after defending the Canadian Open he took a dig at LIV Golf figurehead and 20-time PGA Tour winner, Greg Norman.
When introduced at his press conference as a 21-time PGA Tour winner, McIlroy said: “And one more than Norman.
“Going up against the best and beating the best is extra special.
“And then, look, I alluded to it, I had extra motivation of what's going on across the pond.
"The guy that's spearheading that tour has 20 wins on the PGA Tour and I was tied with him and I wanted to get one ahead of him. And I did. So that was really cool for me, just a little sense of pride on that one."
There is no doubt the PGA Tour has the elite names LIV Golf craves, and McIlroy was quick to emphasise the importance of being able to compete against the best.
“I don't know what it was like watching, it felt pretty entertaining,” McIlroy said. “The calibre of play, everything about today was first class, which this tour is.
“I am sure the PGA Tour liked what they saw and hopefully we can emulate that going forward.
“It is the best tour in the world, it has the top talent and it feels good to go out and beat someone like JT who is in my opinion is one of the best players I have ever played with, so to go toe-to-toe with him, Tony, Sam Burns, it feels really good to come out on top.
“When you have the top guys going out against each other it brings the best out in them.”
Short-game success
There’s little doubt that McIlroy’s wedge play was the difference between victory and defeat on Sunday.
His approach shot on the 17th took the wind from Thomas’ sails, and McIlroy spoke about the importance of it in an interview after the tournament.
“It was a cuppy lie, I had 124 (yards) and tried to play my 105 shot with my sand wedge,” he said. “I did not know how much it was going to release but I knew if I landed it on the front third it had a chance to get back there. So part execution, part luck to have it end up that close.”
Next stop is Brookline for the US Open and McIlroy will likely be favourite to win a title he secured in 2011 for his first major.
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