First thing to say is that Rory’s press conference cancellation is not a particularly good thing for we the media. His scheduled sit down in front of the journalists in the press centre at 9am on Tuesday morning was written in bold ink in most of our diaries. Rory almost always delivers an interesting story when he speaks to the press. He speaks his mind, he speaks honestly and with an opinion that’s worth hearing.
In these strange recent times of men’s professional golf, he has been used as a spokesperson for the PGA Tour and, by his own admission, felt like something of a “sacrificial lamb” when news of the proposed merger between LIV Golf and the PGA and DP World Tours broke.
It has all, inevitably, been a distraction for the Northern Irishman and the news he has elected not to speak to the mass media this week is a clear indication that he doesn’t want any further distraction.
It’s a strategy that has already worked for Rory this year. He decided not to give a press conference before the US Open and he would have won that event had his putter behaved a little better on the final day at the Los Angeles Country Club. He also didn’t speak to the press before the Genesis Scottish Open last week at the Renaissance – an event he went on to win in spectacular fashion, denying home favourite Robert MacIntyre by a shot.
Rory has moved up to second on the Official World Golf Ranking with his win in East Lothian but, for me, he’s the best in the world right now. If all the top players are on their very best games this week, I feel that Rory will come out on top. Of course, that’s not how it works but I do think the 34-year-old is in the right place to deliver a great performance and his presser cancellation is proof of that, even if it leaves us hacks down a few column inches.
If you look at Rory’s tournaments since his near miss in last year’s Open at St Andrews, his results are pretty incredible. OK, he missed the cut at The Players and The Masters – there was a spell earlier this year when he was trying too hard, was too distracted by off-course issues and was putting too much pressure on himself. Other than that, in the last 12 months he has four victories and seven top four finishes. His game looks razor-sharp and he’s hitting the ball further than ever.
The fact Rory, the last winner at Hoylake in 2014, has chosen not to speak to the press shows to me that he has one thing on his mind this week – winning another Major. He doesn’t want to talk about LIV, he doesn’t want to talk about his near misses in recent Majors or the length of his Major drought. He just wants to get out there and let his clubs do the talking. Watching him practising today he is clearly in a good place. He looks focused but he also looks relaxed. He’s enjoying his golf and he’s clearly looking forward to the fight.
If Rory is in the right frame of mind, and the manner of his victory in the Scottish last week would suggest he very much is, then he will be very tough to beat around the links at Hoylake. The bookies certainly think so – he’s favourite just now – the bookies don’t often get it too far wrong.
