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Has Rory McIlroy Returned to Major Winning Form?

By Colin Mieczkowski

NORTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston on September 5, 2016 in Norton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
NORTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston on September 5, 2016 in Norton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Has Rory McIlroy’s victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship given him the boost he needs to win more and recapture the top spot in the world ranking?

Rory McIlroy is a four-time major champion, but his career has been a veritable roller coaster. However, the ride has recently taken a favorable turn, as he picked up a Labor Day win at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday.

After McIlroy made a significant change by switching his putter from Nike to Scotty Cameron, many (myself included) wondered how the transition would go. The change seemed to make an immediate impact, as he finished his week at the Deutsche Bank with a scorching 65.

He led the field in driving distance and putts per GIR. That new putter also gave him 24 birdies throughout the tournament, so the move to Scotty Cameron is definitely working.

So, with his win, is Rory McIlroy back to his major championship form? It’s certainly possible — after all, McIlroy has distinguished himself as one of the most talented players of this generation.

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However, he hasn’t been winning at the rate that we all thought he would. This has to do in large part with the emergence and dominance of Jordan Spieth and Jason Day.

Out of the three players, McIlroy may be the best all-around golfer. However, Spieth is one of the best putters we’ve seen in years, and Day, in his own right, is a great all-around player too.

Ultimately, putting well at the right time is the biggest key to winning tournaments. Jimmy Walker was one of the hottest putters on the planet between 2014 and 2015, as well as one of the PGA Tour’s best players. Spieth was the only one who could outdo him on the greens.

However, it wasn’t until this year that Walker won his first major, the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. That’s because he was putting well enough to win, and he hit a beautiful lag putt on the 18th to leave him with a tap-in.

This is what McIlroy did to win his four majors. Sure, he’s one of the longest hitters in the world, but it was timely putting that won him those tournaments.

I remember watching him when he was at the height of his power. In 2014, after McIlroy won his second PGA Championship under the lights, many wondered who could rival him as the best player in the world.

Jordan Spieth has emerged as one of McIlroy’s biggest rivals. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Spieth has emerged as one of McIlroy’s biggest rivals. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /

Bubba Watson was fresh off of his second Masters victory, so the thought was that Watson and McIlroy were the top two.

It’s amazing how much the landscape has changed in just two years. McIlroy and Watson have, in some ways, been overshadowed by the play Spieth, Day and Rickie Fowler, among others.

Things have changed so much since then that it feels strange to ask if McIlroy is “back.” He’s still a great player, and always has been, but at one point, he was the hot young player.

With the recent play of Spieth, McIlroy has been stripped of that title. However, if anyone is the leader of this new generation of golfers, it’s McIlroy.

Although Day is a little older, McIlroy has won more majors and understands the pressures of being a young, budding superstar. This is something he can teach to the many young talents coming up on the PGA and European Tours.

If he can continue to putt as well as he did at the Deutsche Bank Championship, then expect McIlroy to make some more noise in the FedEx Cup playoffs and into next season. However, he will face stiff competition if he wants to add to his major count.

He’s just a green jacket away from completing the career Grand Slam. Unfortunately for McIlroy, he has more walls to bust through to achieve that milestone.

Earlier this year, Spieth nearly defended his Masters title but ultimately lost to Danny Willett, who got hot at the right time. Even so, it was the Texan’s third consecutive top two finish at Augusta National. With someone like Spieth in the way, it’ll be that much tougher for McIlroy to earn a green jacket.

Spieth knows the course very well, making him tough to beat. Willett is an excellent player in his own right, and plenty of other past champions like Adam Scott and Bubba Watson have the right amount of experience. Day is also a consistent contender at the National.

Right now, however, McIlroy is playing great golf, and there’s no doubt that the putting change did wonders for him. If he can continue his consistent play, we can say that he’s inching closer to the McIlroy we remember from 2014.

One thing is for certain: the depth of talent in golf today is constantly making the sport more and more enjoyable to watch. Rory McIlroy is a player who continues to strengthen the sport.

Next: KLM Open: Five Takeaways from the Opening Round

What are your thoughts on Rory McIlroy’s win? Do you think he has a shot at the FedEx Cup? Leave your thoughts in the comments section or let me know on Twitter @ChiGolfRadio.

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