Rory McIlroy Can Put Himself Back on Right Track with Strong PGA Championship

Things have not gone well for Rory McIlroy this season. Fortunately for the young golfer and golf fans all over the world, he has a chance to turn things around at the PGA Championship.

Off the course, McIlroy seems to be living the high life. The 24-year-old is dating star tennis player Caroline Wozniacki and during the winter he signed a five-year deal with Nike that could be worth up to $200 million.

The problem is that things have gone much worse in the sport that has brought him to fame in the first place.

He has not won a single event in 2013, he has struggled mightily at the major championships and he has missed three cuts in his last six tournaments. While he is still the No. 3 ranked player in the world, the current slide makes obvious that he will not stay this high for much longer.

Of course, the talent is still there. McIlroy remains one of the best drivers on tour and can hit it over 300 yards off the tee with a great deal of consistency. When he does not hit it into the fairway, he still has the accuracy to get it on the green in regulation a high percentage of the time.

While his focus remains in question as he struggles to put all of his skills together, there are few people who doubt his ability to turn things around.

At this point, the biggest thing he needs is confidence. McIlroy seems to be playing in quicksand recently; once things go bad, he gets deeper and deeper into trouble. He needs to get back to the mindset that he can make any shot on the golf course. 

This will not happen until he starts playing better on a regular basis. Fortunately, the PGA Championship gives him a good opportunity to do that.

McIlroy enters the week as the returning champion on a course that actually suits him well. Oak Hill is not incredibly long compared to most around the world, which will give him a chance to make up ground on the field. He also has a chance to play himself out of the reasonable rough when he misses the fairways.

If he takes advantage of this course and puts together a strong showing, it could lead to more success down the line. After winning the title a year ago, he won two of his next three tournaments while finishing 20 strokes under par in each.

It is not necessarily vital for McIlroy to finish in first, but he must be competitive. This could help him end the season on a high note while setting him up for success in the future.

Otherwise, it will be a long winter for the former No. 1 player in the world.

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