McIlroy - Prefers Not Being #1?

[GolfSpy_X]

You might have heard about the text McIlroy sent Tiger after his win this past weekend. Tiger responded by basically telling him to get it going. While this might have been what made news I find it somewhat telling what McIlroy said afterwards. You have to remember a win at this weeks Houston Open would put McIlroy back in the #1 spot:

 

"I didn't think I could go into the Masters under the radar," McIlroy said. "I can go in a little bit underneath him. So, in a way, it's not a bad thing.

It's nice to just go, not just go about my business and no one cares, but you go about it and not be, I guess, the most talked about person in golf. It's a nice thing."

 

Sound like a guy ready to be anointed the next #1? To me it sounds like he just might not have the eye of the Tiger.

 

What are your thoughts?

[GolfSpy WD]

You might have heard about the text McIlroy sent Tiger after his win this past weekend. Tiger responded by basically telling him to get it going. While this might have been what made news I find it somewhat telling what McIlroy said afterwards. You have to remember a win at this weeks Houston Open would put McIlroy back in the #1 spot:

 

"I didn't think I could go into the Masters under the radar," McIlroy said. "I can go in a little bit underneath him. So, in a way, it's not a bad thing.

It's nice to just go, not just go about my business and no one cares, but you go about it and not be, I guess, the most talked about person in golf. It's a nice thing."

 

Sound like a guy ready to be anointed the next #1? To me it sounds like he just might not have the eye of the Tiger.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

He's just justifying things to himself and setting low expectations. Personally, it sounds cowardly and makes me think less of him. I want to root for people who want to win.

[Hula Rock]

The Kid will be fine, growing pains if you will...

[Blade]

I think he likes the idea of being able to just play without living up to all the hype. He knows the hype and expectations aren't going away. But if Tiger's up at the top again, especially going into the Masters, it kinda gives him some breathing room to relax a little bit maybe. Or so he would like. In reality, it won't make much of a difference.

[silver & black]

You might have heard about the text McIlroy sent Tiger after his win this past weekend. Tiger responded by basically telling him to get it going. While this might have been what made news I find it somewhat telling what McIlroy said afterwards. You have to remember a win at this weeks Houston Open would put McIlroy back in the #1 spot:

 

"I didn't think I could go into the Masters under the radar," McIlroy said. "I can go in a little bit underneath him. So, in a way, it's not a bad thing.

It's nice to just go, not just go about my business and no one cares, but you go about it and not be, I guess, the most talked about person in golf. It's a nice thing."

 

Sound like a guy ready to be anointed the next #1? To me it sounds like he just might not have the eye of the Tiger.

What are your thoughts?

 

 

Exactly what I thought when I heard that.

[SeeRed]

I kind of got the impression that he wasn't too unhappy with being displaced from the top position. You know he wants to play well and to win, maybe just wasn't/isn't quite ready for all that goes with being world #1. Maybe that's not his thing? Are we comparing everyone now to what we have come to expect from Tiger? Meaning, maybe not every great golfer has to have that same killer attitude to be great. Tiger relishes being #1 and everything he does seems to be focused on getting there. Not everyone has that same goal. Or...maybe Rory's just a youngster getting it figured out.

[MikeG]

Seems to me you have to live up to the hype if you sign a Gigantic contract like he did. With the money comes the hype.

[Super Tuna]

It's not like Makrel is alone here. Yani's had a terrible year and a bit after being #1 for a bit. I don't know if she said it out right but she clearly doesn't like the obligations that come with being #1 either.

[SeeRed]

It's not like Makrel is alone here. Yani's had a terrible year and a bit after being #1 for a bit. I don't know if she said it out right but she clearly doesn't like the obligations that come with being #1 either.

Good point. She was also playing lights out golf. It is what it is, I guess, but it is kind of a shame that we are not seeing that caliber of golf from either Yani or Rory right now. Hard to maintain under the spotlight and with all the distractions, maybe.

[wbealsd]

RP lays it out, "if you look at the "greats" through the ages, noone had to "grow" or "mature" into handling being ranked number one in the world. There was a deep burning drive to get to the top, and for most, a deeper drive to stay there."

 

Maybe Rory will get it, he's got the physical part down. From here on out, it's his mental game. DOES HE WANT IT? It's his for the taking, if that's what he decides.

 

In all fairness, there's damn few of us that would really stay focused hard enough and long enough to reach that level, even if we had the physical ability to do it. To make #1 and then STAY THERE, is really going to be a mixed blessing, if it's a blessing at all these days.

 

As RP pointed out, if one is in the Top 50 and stays THERE, it's a pretty sweet life. Having a "sweet life" playing golf is NOT the worst of all possible outcomes. To achieve #1 and then STAY THERE is a mental challenge that's an entirely different level.

 

Tiger, on a personal level is kind of sad and I really don't envy him no matter how much money he makes.

 

Tiger IS one of the few people on the planet with both the skill and the "burn" to be "#1" as long as he possibly can, and will NEVER be satisfied at anything less.

 

I can't say I'm a big fan, but I can't deny the SOB IS probably the greatest golfer that's ever lived.

 

Rory is a nice kid with tremendous talent that can be the greatest golfer ever, if he wants to be.

 

Does he, REALLY want it?

 

I really don't know.

[Kanoito]

Exactly! You either have it or you don't.

Greatness truly emerges under pressure.

 

Yani certainly lost a lot of fans and respect after her declarations.

[Rickles]

I think some people are also forgetting about another thing the great ones always do. The figure out a way to turn a negative into a positive for the sake of their confidence. Think about Tiger in his slumps. It was always I'm almost there. When he lost the number one he was like "It's ok, I wanna win not be number one." I think Rory is doing the same thing. He's saying this is good, with no pressure being number one I can be a little looser and go out and win the Masters. That is Rory's goal, Win some more Majors and # 1 takes care of itself. He is trying to be positive and get His mojo back.

[Shambles]

he's just feeling the price of fame. Being famous is only fun in the beginning. After a while you would prefer to be able to walk to the market and buy groceries without being remarked upon or hearing the continuous clicks of cameras following you. Movie stars and politicians can hide in very private clubs and very expensive places where the patrons politely leave you alone, but I suppose Rory has not learned to find those places yet.

 

 

 

Shambles