Rory McIlroy: It Could Be Hard To Be The Best

With The Masters just a few weeks away all eyes will soon be set on Rory McIlroy and his quest for the only major that has eluded him so far in his young career. A win at Augusta would not only mean adding a Green Jacket to his wardrobe, it would be the career grand slam, and three majors in a row. Only one player in the modern era has won four majors in a row, but don’t expect Tiger Woods to be getting in McIlroy’s way, the guy can barely swing a club.

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Since Woods last won a major in 2008, golf has been starved for it’s next iconic player, and McIlroy has a chance to be that guy. A win at Augusta will make him the best player on the planet and end the little debate that was left about the subject. There’s a lot that comes with being not only the game’s best player but it’s most iconic. Rory has at times showed his maturity, but then are moments where he’s chucking 3-irons into ponds.

Martin Kaymer is all too familiar with the burden that comes with being the best golfer on the planet. After his victory at the 2010 PGA Championship the young German was on the top of the golfing mountain. For Kaymer it was no longer just about golf, it was about everything else. At his pre-tournament press conference at the Valero Texas Open he talked about the distractions that come with being the game’s best.

"“More interviews, more sponsor days here and there if you want them, and I think you have to learn what is right for you, what is authentic and what is just your job.”"

For a pro golfer who has just won a major championship, figuring out a balanced schedule can be difficult enough. You add the number one ranking to that and things only get tougher. For Kaymer when things got busier off the course, it just got tougher on it.

"“I think that is what you learn through the years, you get to know what you really want, what makes you a better player, what actually gives you benefit through your success, if it’s worth it to do it or not, or if you just do it for other people. So that is something that is a big learning curve away from golf but it obviously has an impact on the golf.”"

The impact on his golf was dramatic, as he was far from the player he was in 2010 and early parts of 2011. Other than his Ryder Cup clinching putt in 2012 he was nowhere to be seen at golf’s biggest events. That was until last year where he returned and did it in a big way. A dramatic win at The Players and a blowout win at the U.S. Open and he was the favorite for player of the year until McIlroy stole the show with his back-to-back majors to close out the summer. For Kaymer he’s handling things better this time around.

"“That is something that I did not understand when I was lets say the number one player in the world, or when I won the first major. You learn and you reflect on the last few years, in my case I’m a lot happier now the way I handle things than in the past. I think it’s a good thing that I learned from the mistakes or the things I didn’t really want to do.”"

Reaching golf’s mountaintop is no easy task, but for Kaymer things only got tougher when he got there. McIlroy is the best player on the planet, but he’s approaching a level that only a few have ever reached. Will he be able handle it? Only time will tell, first comes first we’ll see if Rory can get it done at Augusta.

Quotes from PGATour.com

Next: Tiger Woods to Play Augusta?

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