After coming up short yet again at the Masters, Rory McIlroy remains stuck on four majors, having not won one since capturing the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
One fellow major champion doesn’t believe McIlroy will win many more, if any.
In a recent interview with Golfweek, Tom Weiskopf, the 1973 Open Championship winner, provided his opinion on McIlroy’s future prospects at golf’s biggest events. Even though the 78-year-old Weiskopf owns three fewer majors – and two fewer PGA Tour wins (16 to 18) – than McIlroy, he wasn’t too positive as he explained his reasoning.
“I look at Rory McIlroy and I think golf is something just for Rory to do,” Weiskopf said. “I’ve said it for a while now that I don’t think he’ll win much more than the four he’s got, or maybe five, because I don’t see that determination and will to be the best. I think it is there in Dustin Johnson. I think he finally figured it out and this could propel him to win all four in one year.”
Johnson, the current world No. 1, won his second career major title last month at Augusta National, where the fourth-ranked McIlroy opened in 75 before rallying for a T-5 finish. McIlroy got back to No. 1 in the world rankings earlier this year before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the season.
On a streak of seven straight top-10s before the pause in play, McIlroy has just three top-10s since the restart, though he has had a good excuse: McIlroy and his wife, Erica, welcomed their first child, daughter Poppy Kennedy, on Aug. 31.
Weiskopf believes McIlroy is complacent, a criticism that others have made in recent years about the now-31-year-old, future Hall of Famer.
“I don’t see any frustration,” Weiskopf said. “Life is good and it should be – he’s a multi, multi-millionaire and has a kid now – but I don’t see the Tiger attitude. It’s like he’s satisfied all the time. The guy is not a good putter. He can hit some putts so off line with the wrong speed. He’s technically not a good putter but one of the purest swings you’d ever want to watch play in the game. Technically, he’s superior to Dustin Johnson, but Dustin has the confidence to do it every time.
“I know Rory works out but I bet if you watched them both work out, Rory would be a lot of laughs and giggles and Dustin would be balls to the wall and forcing a little bit more on himself and that’s what he’s done.”
It didn’t take long for McIlroy to catch wind of Weiskopf’s remarks. In an exclusive interview with Golfweek, McIlroy dished on several topics, including Weiskopf’s comments.
“I’ve never met Tom Weiskopf in my life, he’s never met me, so he’s obviously making a statement based on what he sees from the outside, but I don’t think that’s a fair assessment,” McIlroy said. “I’ve shown throughout my career that I care, that I want to win, that I want to be the best. And I’ve been the best. It’s not as if I’m out there in the clouds and not thinking about it. I try my heart out on every single shot, every single tournament that I play.
“I maybe deal better with disappointment than I used to. I saw the interview where he said he sees no frustration. Like, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I mean, look at the Zozo. I’m breaking clubs, so there’s a bit of frustration there [Laughs]. Obviously, he didn’t watch that round of golf.”
Article originally appeared on: Golfchannel.com
Nice come back Rory, he was an asshole when he was playing, and still is unfortunately. Will never forget what that ass said to me during a tournament in San Diego at LaCosta. He had hit his drive on a par5, and I walked up to it in order to see him hit his 2nd. When he got to his fall, he looked right at me and said the following word for word. ” GET THE F*** away from me” Strangely at that time, he was supposedly a prince by his peers.
As an excellent ambassador and role model, Rory should only be admired as one of the best golfers in the world!
Why all the criticism from people. Maybe all the news and journalist like to see that. It sure seems that way. Just goes to show that somethings no matter what someone does there’s always a critic somewhere. Everyone is an individual and does thiings differently. IF you don’t agree don’t watch or read about it. Let’s look for the good, stay positive and don’t forget that we all have trash that needs to be taken out and nobody’s perfect except God. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but no need to be critical. Golf is supposed to be fun, if it’s not maybe try something else. Thank you, take care and God bless us all.
My father hated Weiskopf, Johnny Miller, Sam Snead, Nick Faldo and Raymond Floyd like poison. Why- because they did not respect the people who were paying their salary, the patrons. If there was ever a more competitive person then my father I have not met them. In 2 years from picking up his first club he was a scratch player. He burned with passion. He also treated all the people around him and if saw someone act like a jerk he would follow them into the parking lot and sort things out in his own inner city Philadelphia style. He has passed but he liked Rory very much because of his positive attitude and respect for those who paid his salary-minus the millions these guys make in sponsorships- and the way he played aggressive and to win. It is a shame the above mentioned never felt they owed anyone anything and it was all about them. They never gave back to those who made them millionaires. And they treated the fans like dirt.
I’ve seen a little girls that are tougher than Rory.
Your comment is awaiting moderation. Gimmeabrake.