AFTER HIS VICTORY at the Wells Fargo this month, Rory McIlroy is the pre-tournament favourite for the 103rd US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
A two-time winner, McIlroy is paired with fellow former champions Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka for Thursday’s first round in South Carolina.
In the latest episode of The Punt — our monthly show sponsored by William Hill that focuses on the major sporting events — Gavin Cooney is joined by Brian Keogh of Irish Golf Desk to preview the second golf major of 2021 and discuss the factors behind McIlroy’s upturn in fortunes.
“It has always been the same for Rory,” Keogh explains. “There have been peaks and troughs throughout his career and when he gets on a run, he wins several times and then goes off the boil again.
“His most recent drought ran for the past 18 months and he was getting frustrated wondering where he was going to find a bit of form. He had to do a little bit of introspection and came up with a few ideas with his team.
“Pete Cowen is the man he brought in as the first port of call, to have a look at his golf swing and have eyes on him as his regular coach Michael Bannon was unable to travel to the United States because of the Covid pandemic.
Having Pete has been a huge boon to him and they have been able to work things out on the driving range in Florida.
“The other key factor was the call to [sports psychologist] Bob Rotella. As good as Rory has been over the last 10 years, it is almost seven years since he won a major and he has quite a few problems getting over the line in so many events that he has played well in.
“He needed a fresh perspective there and Bob has helped him. He spoke to him shortly after the Masters and in almost his next start, he goes out and wins. So there is a lot coming together for Rory.”
Brian also talks about the other Irish golfers in action — Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington — before giving his tips for the event.
In the second part of the show, Fintan O’Toole and Kevin O’Brien — both of this parish — drop by to look ahead to Sunday’s Allianz Football League clash between All-Ireland champions Dublin and rivals Kerry in Thurles.
Among the topics up for discussion are the phenomenon that is David Clifford, the absence of Dublin manager Dessie Farrell and whether Kerry need to win this game more than their opponents.
This episode of The Punt is also available in audio-only form wherever you get your podcasts.
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