Rory McIlroy’s disappoint was clearly evident as he missed the cut at the Irish Open last weekend. Leaving many to question what exactly is happening with the world’s number two player and will he be able to recover in time for the British Open?
With just under two weeks until play begins at Muirfield, the 24 year-old will need to get his game in gear if he has any chance of topping the field in East Lothian. So what exactly is the issue? From a highly publicised equipment change to talk of just not enough tournament play, it has been a disappointing season for the young golfer thus far.
In October of last year McIlroy announced he would be switching from
Titleist to
Nike equipment. With the later reportedly enticing him with a 10-year deal worth around $200 million. It was a decision that sparked massive debates throughout the golfing world.
His long-time coach Michael Bannon defended the switch saying, “People overstate what the change could mean, it is something to talk about but I think this will be an easy transition for him. I don't see it being a problem at all.”
While others like the Golf Channel’s lead analyst, Nick Faldo, thought it was a foolish move.
“I call it dangerous,” Faldo stated at the time. “I’ve changed clubs and changed equipment, and every manufacturer will say, ‘We can copy your clubs; we can tweak the golf ball so it fits you.’ But there’s feel and sound as well, and there’s confidence. You can’t put a real value on that. It’s priceless.”
For an amateur the switching of equipment doesn’t make a huge difference to their game. Inconsistency means they tend to strike a ball differently with each shot. But professional golfers are exceedingly precise. Their talents have been honed to notice the slightest difference in form and sound.
The switching of a professional player’s golf ball is as crucial a decision as having to adapt to new clubs. As GolfOnline’s store manager, Darren Williams explains, “Everything is different including the sound of the face, distance, flight and reaction around the greens.”
It will take time and plenty of competitive play to acclimate to new equipment, neither of which McIlroy has had so far this season. While he has continually stated the clubs are performing well on the driving range, this has yet to translate to the course.
With a disappointing finish at the U.S. Open and failure to make the cut at the Irish Open, McIlroy will have had no competitive play before the British Open begins. This will also be the case for other big names including Tiger Woods, who has been nursing an elbow injury, and Justin Rose, who cited “exhaustion” after his U.S. Open win as the reason for a much needed break. But will this be enough to level the playing field for McIlroy at Muirfield?
Only time will tell if the Northern Irish golfer can regain whatever it is he’s been missing all season. He is said to have met with Nike this week with the desire to lock down the perfect driver and putter. McIlroy will surely be hoping this does the trick and can put to end any speculation of him being a “streaky” player.
