Future's So Bright...

Rory McIlroy didn't need shades to show the world that he has the potential to be the next superstar of the PGA.  Rory roared out to a huge early lead in the second major of the year and never looked back. When all was said and done on Sunday at The Congressional Golf Course in our nation's capital, McIlroy had turned in the best score ever posted at the US Open. A brilliant -16 performance gave McIlroy the first major championship of his young career. It also helped erase some of the ugly memories of the 22-year-old's meltdown at the Masters earlier this year.




Many critics contended that it would take McIlroy a long time to recover from his disappointing finish at Augusta.  With a four stroke lead heading into Sunday, it looked like a mere formality before the young Irishman tried on the famed green jacket. Instead, McIlroy completely imploded and shot a final round score of 80 which left him in a tie for 15th. That long time, was obviously a gross exaggeration. Just two months later, he has proved the doubters wrong and become the next big thing in golf.

Even though this is just his first major win (and only his third pro win) there are plenty of signs pointing to McIlroy's ascension to the top of the world golf rankings. Already at #8, he will likely move even higher after the US Open victory. He's by far the youngest member of the Top 10 and has plenty of room for growth. Obviously, his excellent display this weekend bodes well. McIlroy was never challenged. He led by three strokes after day one, doubled that on day two, and finished eight strokes ahead of Jason Day and the rest of the field following Sunday's final round. It's not just about this showing, though. Say what you will about The Masters meltdown, but the fact is, he held his own against the best in the round for most of that weekend. In addition, McIlroy finished in a tie for third at The Open Championship in 2010, and also earned a tie for third in the past two PGA Championships. So, it was only a matter of time before he won his first trophy.

With Tiger Woods ailing and winless in nearly two years, golf is desperate for a superstar. I talked about this exact subject in an early blog post here. It's been tough to rally around a specific guy with the past 11 majors being won by 11 different golfers. Of all those winners, I believe that McIlroy is the most likely of the group to win another major in the near future (save for maybe Phil Mickelson). He's got the perfect mix of power, putting, and personality. Plus, did I mention he's only 22! Nobody can fill Tiger's shoes, but McIlroy can give the sport the consistency it's been searching for.

 by Andrew Adamson