Rory McIlroy reckons top-ranked Scot Russell Knox has the ‘bottle’ to handle being a member of this year’s European Ryder Cup team.
McIlroy’s eyes were still watery from the emotion of capturing a first Irish Open, and a first success anywhere in six months when singling out the Scot for praise.
The four-time Major winner needed to pull off two ‘career-best’ hybrid club shots to come from one behind Knox with three holes to play and win by two on the K. Club course.
And while admitting Knox had given him a real ‘scare’ in birding the 14th and 15th holes to go ahead, McIlroy said it was just the form that could see the Scot qualify automatically for Darren Clarke’s European Team.
Rory McIlroy reckons Scotland’s Russell Knox has the bottle to play in the Ryder Cup. (Photo – Brian Lawless AP)
McIlroy said: “Russell was really impressive and from what I saw over the last day at the K. Club and from knowing his game pretty well, he’s definitely got the ‘bottle’ to play in the Ryder Cup.
“It was great he came over to Ireland to play and I have to be honest with you as he gave me a real scare when he went ahead at the 15th on Sunday so much so I had pull out two of the best shots I’ve ever had to play to beat him.
“But then Russell’s been a really impressive player for a few years now. I first played alongside him in a play-off for the Honda Classic a few years back (2014) when we were both knocked out by Russell Henley.
“I knew then he would be a good player so it was no surprise to me when he won out on Shanghai late last year.
“And to get himself into contention in Ireland, and using a borrowed driver for the last three rounds because he told me early in the round he had cracked the head of the driver, only shows what a talent he is.
World No. 3 Rory McIlroy ends a six month winless drought to capture a first Irish Open. (Photo – European Tour)
“Russell was among those who attended the Ryder Cup dinner that Darren held during the Players Championship the other week, and he wouldn’t been there also if Darren didn’t think highly of him”.
Knox’s effort has seen him jump five places to the World No. 23 while he jumped 11 places to be lying 17th on the European Ryder Cup ‘World’ points table and only seven spots shy of breaking into the leading five off the ‘World’ points, and with some three months and three Majors left in the Hazeltine qualifying process.
