Rory McIlroy Proves He Is Game's Most Entertaining Golfer

When Rory McIlroy addresses the ball, the only result you can be sure of the future holding is one of entertainment. 

More often than not, McIlroy blisters a shot that is close to its intended target, and the kind that very few people can hit.

However, there is also a chance that his shot will result in hit houses or spectators, terrible chips, putts that leave him as far away as when he hit it, or maybe his ball will get stuck in a tree that isn't around any other trees—like it did on this shot in the third round of the 2012 PGA Championship. 

This errant and unlucky shot would seem to be the sign of a golfer who isn't exactly on his A-game, but that was just part of a front-nine for Rory that saw him hit five birdies on his way to a four-under 32 and a tie for the lead. 

With Round 3 play suspended until Sunday, Rory is through nine holes and tied with Vijay Singh at six-under for the tournament. 

That score, and co-leader status, would seem to suggest that landing in a tree would be just a slight blip on the radar of a a player that has been consistently stroking the ball. However, look back at the Round 2 scores and you see Rory fired a 75. 

These results are not abnormal for Rory. This young talent is as streaky as golfers get. He has the ability to hit every shot and that includes the bad ones. 

This is the same kind of compelling do-or-die play that helped make Phil Mickelson one of the tour's most popular golfers. It is easy for amateur golfers to identify with, and the suspense of knowing anything can happen on any shot makes for great viewing. 

In the face of this kind of up-and-down play, Rory invariably has a smile for the cheering galleries and he doesn't give off the feeling that playing golf is a chore for him. 

As transcending a talent as McIlroy is, he is remarkably relatable for all of us non-golf geniuses, and that means it is not just an adventure, but a joy to watch this young man attack a course.