Rivals draw inspiration from Holywood star’s breakthrough and know ‘unexpected things’ can happen in Majors
The game’s top three will tee off at 1:22 pm Irish time on Thursday with McIlroy chasing the second leg of the calendar grand slam just over a month after winning the Masters to become just the sixth player to win all four Majors.
Only Jordan Spieth can join McIlroy in the career Grand Slam club this week, and like Jon Rahm, and even West Waterford man Séamus Power, the Texan is inspired by what he saw at Augusta National to try and lift the Wanamaker Trophy this week.
“Obviously watching Rory win after giving it a try for a number of years was inspiring,” said Spieth, who is slowly regaining form and confidence after undergoing wrist surgery last year.
“Something like that has not been done by many people, and there’s a reason why. But I’d love to throw my hat in the ring and give it a chance come the weekend this week.”
Rahm has a US Open and a Masters title on his CV, but while he admits he’d love to add a new Major title to his collection and eventually win all four, he’s thinking quantity over variety.
“I’d rather have a situation like Sir Nick Faldo where he has six of two of them instead of having maybe three different ones, if that makes sense,” Rahm said.
“Now, if you get all four of them, and if you won each one once, I think it’s so significant that you might take that over six.”
Paul Kimmage at the PGA Championship
Pádraig Harrington said earlier this week that McIlroy has the game to “run away from the field” at a venue like Quail Hollow, where Shane Lowry has been paired with five-time Major winner Brooks Koepka and a resurgent Rickie Fowler (2:38pm on Thursday; 6:06pm Irish time Friday) for the first two days.
Even though the Holywood star (36) drives the ball brilliantly, Rahm admits that if he could have some part of another player’s game this week, he’d take the Co Down man’s traditionally excellent putting at Quail Hollow.
Power would likely take McIlroy’s power and his ability to cut corners and carry bunkers 340 yards away. But he also takes inspiration from watching a fellow Irishman win and being reminded of how much he’s enjoyed winning on the PGA Tour himself.
“What golf course doesn’t suit a guy who hit it 330 down the middle,” Power said with a grin. “He’s going to be tough to beat. Him and Scottie (Scheffler) are playing golf that you don’t see too often throughout any kind of extended period.
“But you know, it’s golf. You need some bounces, you need some luck, and you need this, you need that. So we’ll see, and hopefully we can be in touch on there come Sunday afternoon.”
Power has fond memories of the PGA Championship having contended on his debut at Southern Hills in Tulsa in 2022, where he went into the final round a shot ahead of eventual winner Justin Thomas and tied for ninth, four shots outside the play-off that also featured Will Zalatoris.
“I was only three or four shots out of the play-off, and I could have found those shots pretty easily,” he said. “Shane (Lowry) put a nice note in my locker going out that (final) day. And it really made, a big difference.
“He was saying, things can happen in Majors, and things do happen. Unexpected things can happen in Majors. And if you can get yourself in that position, you just don’t know.”
He doesn’t compare himself to McIlroy but he was reminded of the joy of winning by watching McIlroy’s Masters triumph.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win a couple times, obviously, nothing to that extent,” he said. “But that feeling makes you really want to get back there.
“You see the emotions on his face, and what it meant to him. Obviously, the Masters is going to mean a lot to anyone, but just winning and that feeling of accomplishment, you want to get back to that.
“So I think that’s where the inspiration comes from. It’s another reminder of you wanting to get back to these kind of positions.”
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