EDITORIAL – WHAT MAKES RORY MCILROY SO SUCCESSFUL?

Rory McIlroy showed great promise as a youngster, appearing on television shows as a wee lad to showcase his abilities back then. Today, he is recognized as the greatest golfer to ever come out of Europe, having won six major championships including the career Grand Slam.

McIlroy is universally recognized as one of the best drivers of the ball in the professional game, almost always in the top four in Stokes-Gained Driving and is in first position this year in that stat. His current Strokes-Gained Driving Approach Shots ranking is 29th, and combined Strokes-Gained Tee-to-Green he is ranked third.

McIlroy’s strength, therefore, is his ballstriking, but what makes it so special is his power. He is able to use lesser clubs into the greens than most of his fellow competitors, but he is also very technically sound. A recurring bugaboo in his swing is when he re-routes the club coming down in too-shallow of a swing place, resulting in an excessive outside-in swing at times. But he knows this flaw and is always working to eliminate it.

McIlroy’s power is a testament to hard work in the gym as he is only 5-foot-9 inches tall, and dedication to the sport. Although he’s sometimes a controversial figure as he’s not afraid to say what’s on his mind, he is well-respected by most of his peers and is a credit to the game.