World No. 1 Rory McIlroy climbed to Hong Kong’s highest peak ahead of this week’s defence of his UBS Hong Kong Open title with the golf world clearly at his young feet.
McIlroy joined fellow Major champions Paul Lawrie of Scotland, Padraig Harrington of Ireland along with Korean Y E Yang and American Matt Kuchar in a pre-tournament promotion at Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak.
The 23-year old McIlroy last Sunday became the youngest European No. 1 in nearly three decades after finishing third in last week’s Barclays Singapore Open.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy joins the stars of this week’s UBS Hong Kong Open title at Victoria Peak. (Photo – Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ie)
But as he stood hitting plastic golf balls off an artificial mat overlooking Hong Kong Harbour well into the distance below the 23-year old reaffirmed his desire in achieving higher goals.
“It’s very nice to win the money list title on both main tours and while it’s been nice to emulate what Luke Donald did last year and nice to be able to pick up all these end of year awards, I just want to keep improving,” he said.
“I just want to become a better golfer and win more tournaments and with that more Major Championship titles will come.
“But as professional golfers we are always trying to improve and always trying get better and that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to always overhaul your game or try an improve your swing,” said McIlroy.
“All I will be looking to do is continue improve certain aspects of my game like my short game, my bunker play or like chipping from the semi-rough or your ability to hit the short left-to-right or right-to-left.
“There are always aspects of your game you need to improve and that is my goal to keep doing that.
“I feel as though I have gradually progressed and gradually improved every year I have been a pro and that’s definitely something that I want to continue to work on going into 2013.”
McIlroy was earlier this week among the five nominees for PGA Tour Player of the Year having wrapped-up the PGA Tour money list at the conclusion of the FedEx Cup Play Off Series.
And he continued to install himself as favourite for the European Tour ‘Player of the Year’ award in wrapping up the Race to Dubai title with still two events remaining.
“It’s nice not having to worry about the Race to Dubai title knowing that I’ve already wrapped it up with two events to go,” said McIlroy.
“Matteo (Manassero) did me a big favour on Sunday winning the play-off in Singapore so I owe him for that.
“So to be able to come here to Hong Kong and really only have to play half-decent is a nice feeling but then I want to end the year with another victory and I can think of no better way than to do that this week in the defence of my UBS Hong Kong Open title
“I’ve always enjoyed coming to Hong Kong ever since my first visit in 2006 with the Faldo Junior Series, and then competing in my first Hong Kong Open title a year later,” he said.
“So this week is my sixth Hong Kong Open title and after being involved in a great play off in 2008 but to be lucky enough to win last year was just amazing.
“There’s just a great buzz coming here to Hong Kong and the Fanling Golf Course is one of my favourites.”
Kuchar will be competing in Hong Kong for a first time and just weeks since being a member of the losing USA Ryder Cup team.
“The great thing about the game of golf is that every week you start over and you start from scratch whether you’ve won a tournament or you’ve missed a cut, so it’s all about starting afresh,” said Kuchar.
“So the week before doesn’t matter and fortunately the Ryder Cup was about six weeks ago and there’s been a number of events since then so that we can move on.
“Of course, I was on a losing USA side but looking at it from a whole it is one of those events that just attracts so many people.
“But now we are removed from the Ryder Cup and we have moved on, and as individuals we move on and I’ve moved on.”
