Norman backs Rory to return stronger
London, Apr. 2: Golfing great Greg Norman has backed Rory Mcilroy to come back and succeed at the Masters a year after a last- day meltdown.
Mcilroy thanked Norman for “reaching out” and offering counselling following the Ulsterman’s collapse last year. And the double Open winner insisted the US Open champion can triumph this time around.
The Daily Mail quoted Norman, now 57, as saying: “I don’t care who you name, whether it’s Arnold Palmer or myself or Ballesteros or Tom Watson — we have all experienced a little bit of a meltdown. It’s all relative to how you react to it. A lot of people reached out to me when it happened and it’s a very calming feeling.”
He added: “I really put Rory as high favourite going into Augusta this year. He is putting beautifully, his short game is great, he has the perfect ball flight for Augusta National and now he has to manage his expectations going in.” Mcilroy said his heart- to- hearts with Norman had helped his mental game, adding: “Greg was very good. He said to me that I was 21 when it happened to me and he was 41, so he made me realise that it wasn’t going to be my last chance.”
Meanwhile, Mcilroy has accused former agent, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler of leading him down the wrong path.
The Guardian quoted Mcilroy, as saying: “I felt like the path I was going down wasn’t the path I wanted to go down.”
Mcilroy cited his decision in 2010 to give up his PGA Tour card, and skipping the Players Championship at Sawgrass in the same season, as among his biggest regrets.
“That’s another example of being involved with Chubby and ISM and maybe being led down the wrong path, or a path that I didn’t want to go down. It was something I sort of felt like I had to do.
“I think just spending a little bit of time around Chubby and Lee and hearing their view of the PGA Tour while I’ve always been one who wanted to play on the PGA Tour,’ he said.