By SAM McDOWELL
smcdowell@islandpacket.com
843-706-8123
If you ignored the curly, brown mop of hair on top of his head and his boyish looks, you’d guess Rory McIlroy has been at this awhile.
If you observed his demeanor and read his thoughts on being a teenage golf sensation, your opinion likely wouldn’t change.
But believe it or not, the Northern Ireland golfer is just 19 years old.
And he’s enjoying every second of being in the limelight at this stage in his young career.
“I sort of like being the center of attention. It’s nice,” he said after the WGA-CA Championship last month. “I feel very comfortable in it.”
At the rate he’s moving, he had better be prepared to be in for long haul.
At 16, McIlroy had already played in his first European Tour event. A year later in 2007, he competed in the Open Championship and finished 42nd after easily making the cut, thanks to an opening round that had him in a third-place tie heading into the second day.
He turned professional shortly thereafter, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact. He claimed his first professional tournament title in February of this year in the Dubai Desert Classic — still three months shy of his 20th birthday.
“(That) was very good for my confidence, especially so early in the year,” he said.
His race up the world rankings charts has helped earn him the attention of several tour players as well.
“Certainly he has the talent. We can all see it — the way he hits the golf ball, the way he putts, the way he can chip, get up-and-down,” Tiger Woods said last month. “He has all of the components to be the best player in the world. There’s no doubt.”
Though he’s admitted he’s been somewhat in awe of competing against guys like Tiger and Phil Mickelson, McIlroy isn’t concerned with catching up to the world’s best quite yet.
“I’ve started to concentrate on what I need to do to become a better player,” he said. “http://heritage.islandpacket.com/node/add/storyI’m not looking around me as much. I’m not looking at other players. ... And I think that’s been a big part of why I’ve done so well, because I know if I do the right thing, I’ll play well. If I play well, I’m capable of beating most of the guys out here.”
McIlroy, who is known for his aggressive style on the golf course, comes to the Verizon Heritage after playing in his first Masters just last week. He finished in a tie for 20th place at 2 under par for the tournament, certainly a strong showing for Augusta.
Though he said he’s enjoyed his time in the US, he doesn’t intend to play here full-time at any point in his career. He also said he hasn’t made any plans to join the PGA Tour any time soon.
But when it comes to making an impact on its events, expect something sooner rather than later.
“It’s been a fast rise,” he said.