Rory McIlroy's Late Day 1 Charge Sets Him Up for Ryder Cup Success
Rory McIlroy’s Friday at the 2014 Ryder Cup mirrored the overall start of competition for the European side.
He and teammate Sergio Garcia faced Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson of the United States in the morning four-ball session. Bradley and Mickelson controlled the match and won, and SportsCenter pointed out that it gave the Americans the early lead:
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That red, white and blue momentum was short-lived, though.
McIlroy struggled early in his afternoon foursome match as well, and it appeared as if he would become the first No. 1 player in the world to lose twice on Day 1 of the Ryder Cup since Tiger Woods accomplished the infamous feat in 2002.
However, McIlroy avoided that designation when he tapped into some Ryder Cup magic on hole No. 17.
He drilled a 40-foot birdie putt to stay in contention against Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler, which whipped the pro-European gallery into a frenzy. That magic continued on hole No. 18, although McIlroy needed some help from his teammate Garcia and Mother Nature there.
McIlroy’s drive stayed in play only because it bounced off a tree trunk, and Garcia took advantage of the break by blasting a 5-wood from the rough to within 25 feet of the hole. It was an incredible shot, and the Europeans finished the birdie to halve the match. It took birdies on the final three holes to avoid a loss to Walker and Fowler, who controlled much of the competition.
McIlroy discussed the proceedings, via Paul Hayward of The Telegraph:
"We needed it, we were making life difficult for ourselves, and I don’t think either of us were playing from the fairways much. But we went three-under for the last three holes and Sergio hit the shot of the day to get it to the green.
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McIlroy expressed many of the same sentiments afterward on Twitter:
It is difficult to imagine any other scenario than a McIlroy resurgence going forward after such a dramatic turn of events.
All of a sudden, the Europeans have a 5-3 lead heading into play Saturday, and McIlroy went from a two-time Day 1 loser to part of the team that picked up an incredibly important half-point.
McIlroy has dominated the golf course and his fellow competitors in 2014, hence his distinction as the PGA of America Player of the Year and Vardon Trophy winner.
He won the Open Championship, the PGA Championship and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational with a masterful run that few golfers in history can match.
Beating McIlroy twice on the opening day of the Ryder Cup would have been a huge psychological boost for the Americans.
Instead, the world’s best player has the momentum on his side. What’s more, any nerves that were straining his game in the early going likely dissipated when he and Garcia put together such an impressive streak to end the afternoon foursome.
A relaxed and momentum-driven McIlroy could spell trouble for the Americans’ Ryder Cup chances on European soil.
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