Gary Player says Rory McIlroy is a man of iron – and he’s tipping him for glory at St Andrews.
The South African legend – who was nicknamed Mr Fitness during his own playing days – says the Hollywood native has got the best swing on the planet.
And the 86-year-old tips McIlroy to end his eight-year Major drought at The Open next month.
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy slips further back at Travelers Championship
Player believes golfers are now following in his footsteps of over 60 years ago – when he embarked on a career that saw him lift nine Major titles, including three Open Championships.
Player said: “When I first started in 1953, I started to exercise because my brother went off to war in South Africa – and I promised him I would exercise for the rest of my life.
“I am still pushing a few weights and I really admire Rory – and Tiger Woods – who continued the legacy or this idea I had.
“I see a lot of Rory. He’s a member of Jack Nicklaus’ club, called The Bear’s Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. I’ve spent a lot of time there.
“First off, his swing is phenomenal. The best on the planet.
“He’s got the power, the right ingredients, balance. There’s no one who comes close – maybe Justin Thomas, in terms of having a great swing.
“But then there’s his fitness regime. I don’t know what it is but Rory’s clearly got one – he’s like a piece of iron, very strong.
“They have all the travelling gymnasiums on tour now – guys are training and starting to eat properly and challenging the mind.
“And we are heading into a new era where people are realising that if you don’t do your weight training, follow your diet, sleep well and laugh a lot, you won’t win tournaments. Yes, there are a lot of things that make up a champion.
“But you have to have ‘it’. Certain people have ‘it’ bestowed upon them. Others don’t. But Rory has ‘it’.
“And I know he hasn’t won a Major since 2014. But I’m tipping him to win at St Andrews.
“The greens are big – that works in his favour because I think chipping might be his weakness.
“And he hits the ball with a lot of draw, which again points to him doing well.”
Despite the heavy hitting of players such as McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, Player believes the game has not changed too much in nearly a century.
He added: “Top players may hit it further off the tee these days but they are not any better than we were when we played and we weren’t any better than Bobby Jones was. Do you know that he shot 285 in 1927, using a walking stick as a shaft?
“He was hitting a ball that went 80 yards less than it does today and you raked the bunkers with your feet. He might be the best that ever lived. People forget that a successful eight-foot putt counts exactly the same as a 350-yard drive.”
Player is returning to St Andrews next month, to visit The Open for his 67th time.
It is a far cry from his first appearance at the Old Course.
He added: “My first time was in 1955 – I arrived at St Andrews and came by train. I got off at Leuchars. I didn’t know where the hell I was – I stood there, not going anywhere.
“John Jacobs came by and he gave me a lift into town. I had just £200 in my pocket and a little tiny suitcase containing two pairs of trousers.
“I had one white shirt and a little tie. It was a black dinner tie.
“But I couldn’t get a room. I didn’t have much time because it was quite late, so I slept on the beach, where they later did the movie Chariots Of Fire.
“I put on my waterproofs and my sweater – it wasn’t a bad night but I slept in one of those huge dunes.
“The next day, I got a room for 10 shillings. They said it was facing the sea.
“It was. It was facing the WC. The room was so small that when I put the key in the door the window broke.
“So, I’m looking forward to going back. I’ve got a hotel room, at least.
“The Open is the greatest event in the golf calendar. We should cherish it.”
- Gary Playeris supporting the 150th Open Championship Claret Jug Tour, in partnership with HSBC UK, which visits schools and cities. For details, visit TheOpen.com and follow @HSBC_UK
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