Australia’s in-form Day has not won a Major nor as many events as Rory McIlroy but he believes his good friend will emerge an even better player once he breaks a winless drought.
Day ended a more than three-year wait for only his second pro tournament success when captured last week’s World Cup of Golf ‘Individual’ title at Royal Melbourne.
The Ohio-based Aussie, who had gone so close to victory in this year’s Masters, will be joined by McIlroy in Thursday’s commencing Australian Open at the Royal Sydney course in Sydney’s exclusive eastern harbour side suburbs.
McIlroy continues to edge closer to a first victory this year as evident by his fifth place finish a fortnight ago in the Race to Dubai final event in the UAE.
However this week’s Australian Open, boasting double World Rankings points, is McIlroy’s penultimate chance for victory this year before rounding off his sixth full season in the professional ranks.
“It is surprising to me that Rory hasn’t won this year as the guy is so talented but then careers rise and fall,” said Day.
“Sometimes you win regularly as was the case with Rory and then victory toasts can dry up.
“But then given some of his results of late, I don’t think it will be too long before he’s back in the winner’s circle.
“I know that having won the World Cup last week and it being such a long time since I won the Byron Nelson Championship that I will be a lot stronger given it was over three years since that first win in Texas.
“Rory’s been playing decent golf but he just hasn’t won, so I can see Rory coming out the other end maybe even stronger when he wins again, and someone with that much talent will win again.
“The thing is with Rory that by winning two Majors and going to No. 1 in the world, he’s been put up there on a pedestal to go out there and to beat Tiger (Woods).
“We’re all not Tiger Woods so it is difficult to accomplish what he’s achieved, so it’s a matter also of being patient.
“Rory is still a young guy. He has a girlfriend and he’s not going through some of the things the married guys have to go through like being away from families, so Rory is still finding what he likes out here.”
What McIlroy doesn’t like is the Australian made Vegemite, a yeast extract launched in 1923 onto the Australian breakfast tables.
However the current World No. 6 is partial to a meat pie, cites his favourite Australian actor as Russell Crowe and greatly admires fellow dual Major winner, Greg Norman.
“Aside from his great golfing achievements, Greg is a hugely successful businessman off the course and not many golfers have successfully made that transition,” said McIlroy.
“I know Greg also has won the Australian Open many times and that is my goal this week.
“So to win the Australian Open would be huge for me. It would stamp my place in the history books of the Australian Open alongside people like Greg, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and so many other great players.
“And following in their footsteps would never be a bad thing.”
