Rory McIlroy: Not the player of the year, but a player of an era

In a FedEx St. Jude rematch, Rory McIlroy delivered Brooks Koepka a taste of his own medicine to snatch another FedEx Cup title.

Rory McIlroy followed in the footsteps of defending Tour Championship champion Tiger Woods, decimating the field with a four-stroke victory to become the second player to win multiple FedEx Cup titles. A day later, McIlroy fell short of the PGA of America Player of the Year honor. But does a year truly speak to the impact McIlroy has had on golf?

These days, it’s no stretch to say Rory McIlroy is a household name. Though his career hasn’t been anywhere near perfect (can you name ANY glorious modern golf career that is?), a five-year-long Grand Slam flirtation and 17 career wins are nothing to gloss over. Winning the FedEx Cup under a brand new format only enhances that.

No fairway, injury or world No. 1 stood in the Irishman’s way on Sunday, who described the 2019 season as “long”. Even a prolific Players Championship victory to his name, McIlroy still struggled to find a path of consistency that matched the newfound identity in his game. An emotionally charged missed cut at the British Open was the first bummer of the summer. Then came a mishap in Memphis by a fiery bogey-free Brooks Koepka in the final round of WGC St. Jude.

Brooks Koepka stole Rory McIlroy’s thunder by three strokes in July. In August, McIlroy made it five.

But this isn’t a sole comparison between either player. It’s not to imply that Koepka doesn’t deserve the Player of the Year. Rather, it’s a testament to how Rory is still shining amongst the greats; but in a class of his own.

In spite of a few recent down years, McIlroy proved in late 2018 and 2019 that flashes of his younger self still exist within his modern game. Three tournament wins and fourteen top-tens don’t appear out of thin air. McIlroy topped the PGA Tour in the strokes gained statistic. He also placed second in driving distance. While driving distance seldom translates to winning tournaments, McIlroy can obliterate fairways while maintaining a low scorecard.

Observe a casual 415-yard drive at the Omega European Masters, where he still managed to hang in a five-man playoff.

It’s no question that a fresh major would further substantiate McIlroy’s argument for greatness, especially in 2019. Instead, consider his season-long toughness, where he was able to withstand event after event, and still place highly frequently, missing just two cuts out of nineteen events. That’s hard to stack up to a major, but an accomplishment in its own right.

The 2011-2014 major dominance propelled Rory to his current stature, and returning there is crucial.

Yes, the competition is plentiful. Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson have all dominated beside McIlroy in their ways over the past decade. But it’s only McIlroy and Spieth who are the closest to a Grand Slam. Recency bias alone, it’s easier to say McIlroy might end up there first.

Fantasies aside, McIlroy’s 2019 re-emergence is a reminder that his greatness hasn’t run out–nor should anyone expect it to. His remarkable legacy is much too great to reduce to a year. But the year sets him up for plenty more.