Player Profile: A champion’s year in review

On 29 December 2014, Rory McIlroy stands once again at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings. As McIlroy’s noteworthy ascension to fame has already been extensively featured, we will focus on his achievements for 2014 in this profile.

Rory McIlroy’s year did not start the way it ended. He was defeated by one shot in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, after conceding a two shot penalty for taking incorrect relief after driving onto a spectator pathway. Later, in March, during the Honda Classic, he was again beaten by a narrow margin, losing a four-man sudden death playoff on the first extra hole.

After this inglorious start, McIlroy returned to form, after 18 months without winning a major title.
In England, during May, he claimed the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth by one stroke, beating Thomas Bjørn, who had started with a seven-stroke advantage.

July saw McIlroy go on to take the 2014 the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool by two strokes, leading the field from start to finish, joining the ranks of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to have won three majors by the age of 25.

After a week’s break, McIlroy won at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone and reclaimed his number one spot in the rankings. The next week he took the PGA Championship at Valhalla by one shot, earning the praise of Jack Nicklaus, who said, “Rory is an unbelievable talent... I love his swing, I love his rhythm, I love his moxie”.

Apart from his number one spot in the professional rankings, Rory McIlroy is also the recipient of the following awards for 2014:

• Arnold Palmer Award (leading money winner)
• PGA Player of the Year
• PGA Tour Player of the Year
• Vardon Trophy
• Byron Nelson Award
• Race to Dubai winner
• European Tour Golfer of the Year
• Mark H. McCormack Award for leading the Official World Golf Ranking for 22 of 52 weeks
• RTE Sports Person of the year
• BBC Northern Ireland Sport Personality of the Year

Let’s see what he does in 2015!

GolfWeather
Editorial