Golf’s all-time greatest Major champion Jack Nicklaus wants to team with new WGC – Bridgestone Invitational winner Rory McIlroy to design golf courses.
McIlroy arrived in the Blue Grass State of Kentucky late last night (Sunday US time) having watched on Saturday night the super-action hero and comedy movie Kick Arse 2 before then sharing Sunday lunch with Garcia.
McIlroy then went out to capture his first WGC title in coming from three shots behind the hapless Spaniard and win a second straight title after his British Open success by two shots in Akron, Ohio.
Unfortunately for the newly-engaged Garcia he had to play the bridesmaid role for a fourth time in his career to an Irish golfer including twice now to McIlroy and twice to Padraig Harrington, and when you consider Garcia’s first European Tour success was as a 19-year in capturing the 1999 Irish Open.
The Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus says he would like Rory McIlroy to help him design a golf course.
McIlroy’s 14th pro career success eased him back to World No. 1 for a first time since March 2013 and also saw his European Tour career earnings break through the Euro 20m mark and in only his 139th European Tour money-counting event.
McIlroy also is now just one PGA Tour counting victory shy of matching the European-born record of former Faldo Series mentor Nick Faldo who tops the list with nine PGA Tour wins.
However fresh in McIlroy’s mind for the four days in Ohio was the email he received from Nicklaus and the Buckeye State’s greatest-ever sportsman.
“Jack and his wife, Barbara sent me a lovely email saying they had watched the final round at Royal Liverpool, and they were very happy for me and happy to see I was fulfilling potential,” said McIlroy.
“Jack mentioned the little conversation we had a few weeks back and how that must have helped me win at Hoylake.
“But then that conversation didn’t start off to be anything about golf. It was more like how he managed his time, and how I have got busier over the last couple of years, and just what he did and some little tips or tricks he could give me to try and manage my time better, my schedule better, and just turned into everything.
“We talked about my golf swing in there while he ended up telling me some stories from the past, about going into tournaments while he talked to me about golf course design and maybe designing golf courses together one day and stuff like that.
“There was loads of different things going on, he talked about his brand, he talked about what he has done and what legacy he wants to leave. All that, it was cool.”
Again, the key to McIlroy’s victory was his driving and with the now 14-time pro career winning golfer light years ahead of the despair he endured last season.
And after being so often left red-faced a year ago by his new Nike crimson-coloured driver, McIlroy’s now glowing in the distance he’s driving it past his rivals.
“It just doesn’t take much from shooting a 65 the first day to be off and shooting 75 the second day that I know very well this year,” he said.
“If you let that affect you mentally that will make it more difficult but then if you stay strong mentally through the struggles then you come out strong the other side.
“Last summer I was losing confidence in my swing and started spiralling out of control. It all came to a head at Muirfield but I stayed strong mentally and I’ve managed to regroup and get back on track.”
And speaking of track, McIlroy will join a host of former PGA winners, including fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington, attending a former champion’s dinner tomorrow night (TUES) at the famed Churchill Downs race track in Louisville.
Then on Thursday McIlroy will commence his quest for a personal ‘Triple Crown’
