The coach to now four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy believes contesting the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen was the key to McIlroy becoming the fourth youngest player to win four Majors.
After missing the halfway cut at the U.S. Open, McIlroy delighted Royal Aberdeen organisers with his decision to contest the Scottish Open.
He stepped out to set a new Royal Aberdeen course record of 64 on day one but then handed back the seven shots on day two before ending his first Scottish Open in four years with scores of 68 and 67 for a share of 14th place on seven under par.
And as Michael Bannon, who has coached McIlroy since he was seven years old, was photographed late on Sunday night standing beside McIlroy with the PGA Championship trophy, helooked back to the decision to play in Scotland.
Rory McIlroy’s coach, Michael Bannon (second left) joins Gerry McIlroy. Rory, Sean O’Flaherty and Harry Diamond in celebrating McIlroy’s 2014 PGA Championship success. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“Rory and myself virtually went back to his roots the week before Royal Aberdeen as we went back to the practice ground and the club at Bangor,” said Bannon.
“We stayed there all week except for two days at Royal County Down and that got the ball rolling. We tried to keep his ball flight down and just played a lot of links golf, and then went to Scotland and played more links golf and that got us going again.
“So playing the Scottish Open was pivotal as it is the best preparation I’ve seen Rory undertake heading into The Open. It just gave him a massive boost in confidence.
“It’s funny too because when Rory gets playing well he kind of knows he’s going to win these tournaments.
“And the greatest thing about winning a PGA is that he didn’t give this one away, and you have to say: “How good was he today?”
While the Home of Golf looks to a first Major Champion since Paul Lawrie won the 1999 Open, Ireland is now nine wins from 30 Majors following the triple Major success of Padraig Harrington, four wins to McIlroy and victories at the game’s highest level to Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke.
And with eight months to next April’s Masters Bannon believes there’s nothing stopping his 25-year old charger becoming on the sixth player in the history of the game to win the coveted Grand Slam.
He said: “Augusta really suits Rory and look this year, if he had putted well he would have been right up there but one of these days I think he is going to win the Masters.
“It was great he won The Open, as The Open for us … I mean I watched golf in the 60s and 70s and the 80s you didn’t see much American golf on the TV and I really looked forward each year to The Open as it was always being played so close to us.
“On the green back home when I was practicing him Rory would say he was now holding a putt to win The Open, so for me and everyone one around him to win The Open was massive.
“I know conditions were slightly soft out there but Rory won on a links course to be The Open Champion, so you have to say looking ahead to Augusta, Rory can play any golf course.”
