The week before the Masters 2022 wasn’t a great week for Rory McIlroy. His iron match at the Texas Open was terrible, and he missed a chance at 1 as JJ Spaun went on to win the event in under 13th. It was his final start before the annual pilgrimage to Augusta National in an attempt to win the most elusive championship of his life.
To move on, after trying and not being able to get out of San Antonio Friday night after cutting back, McIlroy recalls being told room service at his hotel would take 150 minutes.
“I thought, wake up tomorrow and start over,” he said.
At that point in his season, although Rory was playing quality golf, he had dropped to 9th in the world just as Scottie Scheffler was presenting himself as #1 in the World Golf Rankings. official world. Fast forward six months, and McIlroy – after a truly absurd run after a missed cut – has now begun his ninth distinct reign at number 1.
“If someone told me on Friday night of the Valero Texas Open when I missed my chance that I would be world No. 1 in October, I would ask them what they smoke because I don’t believe them.” McIlroy on Sunday after defending the CJ Cup and reclaiming the top spot from Scheffler after 30 weeks as Scottie’s No.
Since that Friday in San Antonio, McIlroy has played 15 events worldwide and placed in the top 5 of 10 of them, including 3 of the 4 majors (the remaining grand slam is still top). ten). He missed a cut in that span and won three tournaments. This will likely be the eighth year in the calendar that McIlroy has won at least as many tournaments he missed.
How is it unusual to have nine separate times as world number 1? Well, this is an all-time third place behind Tiger Woods and Greg Norman (11), ahead of Dustin Johnson (seven) and Seve Ballesteros (five).
What than Unusual, however, is the amount of time that has passed from when McIlroy first became No. 1 (March 2012) to now (10 years, seven months).
The type of golf that must be played to be number 1 in the world is ephemeral. You have to be really good to get ahead of all the other top talent in the world and usually – if OWGR history is any indication – that summit only lasts (at most) 1-3 five.
There are a total of 25 golfers who have been number 1 in the world, 22 of which have no more than 4 years gap between their first and last (or most recent) appearances.
Johnson is a prime example. He first became No. 1 in February 2017 and his last appearance there was July 2021. And it was one of those. longer Run on top of the golf world. Johnson has been one of the two best golfers of the past 15 years, and this four-year relationship with the No. 1 spot speaks to his enduring greatness over a long period of time.
Ernie Els is a better example of this standard. Els is probably one of the 20 best players ever, and he took his first No. 1 in June 1997 and his last No. 1 in June 1998. One year .
The three exceptions are of course Woods (who has many feats of at least 250 consecutive week at number 1), Norman and McIlroy. Woods has passed 17 years since his first and most recent (possibly last) appearance. Norman has been gone for over 11 years. McIlroy could eclipse that depending on how long he stays at the top of the table.
Perhaps even more remarkable for McIlroy is that he has not been ranked 16th in the world since November 2009. At no point in the past 13 years has there been more than 15 golfers on the planet. considered better than you. To illustrate how great it is to perform at that level, let’s look at who was in the top 10 in the world when McIlroy joined.
So very few golfers stay in the top 10 or top 15 for that long, and certainly few return to number one so many times over the course of so many years. While never falling out of the top 16 in the world, McIlroy said a return to No. 1 is a far cry even after a year.
“Far? That’s right,” McIlroy said. “Jordan Spieth was world No. 1 at Whistling Straits in 2015 when Jason Day won, and I didn’t return to world No. 1 until 2020. That’s only been 5 years in the top 5, top 5. 10, but the important thing is, Right? It took me 5 years to come back in 2020. Then COVID worked; I struggled with COVID. After COVID, struggled a bit too. It’s been a few years. then I don’t have 1 left.
“Yes, it feels far-fetched, and I’m surprised that in the last six months I’ve played well and I have to get back into this position.”
Despite his longevity – and despite having achieved the feat so many different times – McIlroy was emotional after his win on Sunday. He said it was because of who was there with him to get back to the top.
“I think [what brought about that emotion was] He said: “It’s not just me; That’s everyone who is part of my team. It is not an effort alone. I just think about all the people who have made a difference in my life obviously not in the last 12 months but ever. Just think in the past 12 months, there’s been a lot of people who deserve a lot of praise, and I’m the one sitting here and taking them away, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that people don’t know about. . All of that combined is just as important as what I do out there trying to get these wins.
“It’s been a team effort and I think whenever I think about it, that’s what makes me a little choked up and emotional because it’s so great to be on this journey with other people you want to be with. participating. It’s a really great part of it.”
In the end, this degree of sustained greatness can only be achieved by a sociopathic competitor or a person who is so passionate about the game that he has the inner drive to conquer it, no matter the time. how long does it take. All the talent in the world won’t matter unless you have one (or both) of those attributes. While one can doubt McIlroy when it comes to the former, the latter cannot be doubted.
“I feel like I’m enjoying the game as much as I’ve ever been,” he said on Sunday. “I really love the game of golf. I think when I go out there and play with that joy, it has definitely shown in the last 12 months.”
McIlroy added: “The journey of trying to be the best of yourself [is what I enjoy]. That is gratifying. I never felt like I found this game, I don’t think I’ll ever find it, but every day I wake up trying to get closer. “
