Rory McIlroy’s stunned reaction said it all. Invited to lunch yesterday by fellow Jupiter resident Jack Nicklaus, he found himself the target of a surprise. It was an elaborate one, with the Golden Bear accompanied by the United States Professional Golfers Association Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and a camera crew ready to record his reaction for posterity. To set up the moment, they told him they simply wanted him to receive the Byron Nelson Trophy for competing the season with the lowest adjusted scoring average. He was calm and collected, believing the ceremony to be a formality.
McIlroy was wrong. “They’ve got one other that they thought they would bring out for you today,” Nicklaus told him. “That’s the Nicklaus Trophy.” “I’ve already got two of those,” he noted, recognizing the hardware. “You’ve got three now,” the living legend deadpanned. “Really?” And the look on his face betrayed his incredulity. He had absolutely no idea he would be acknowledged as the PGA Tour Player of the Year, and not just because he wasn’t told. As with most other observers, he thought he had no chance in the face of the commanding campaign World Number One Brooks Koepka carved.
“I’ve got goosebumps,” McIlroy proclaimed amid sustained applause, his physical reaction betraying his shock over the development. Not that he didn’t put together an outstanding season that saw him making the podium thrice and finishing in the Top Ten 14 times out of 19 appearances. Notably, he claimed the Players Championship (dubbed the year’s fifth major tournament based on course conditions and strength of field), the FedEx Cup, and the Canadian Open. In short, he was the most consistent golfer in the circuit.
If there’s anything wrong with the picture, however, it’s that McIlroy wasn’t the most consistent golfer in the majors. And deeming his performances in the sport’s Grand Slam events “mediocre” may well be generous; he finished 21st at the Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship, ninth at the US Open, and, with the British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Island (his home course), he couldn’t even make the weekend. Meanwhile, Koepka — whom he himself figured would bring home the trophy — went second, first, second, and fourth in the same events.
True, the award is for Player of the Year, not Player of Four Weeks. Then again, there have been myriad instances of winners being named so because of their showing in golf’s holy grails. The most prominent example: Padraig Harrington, who won in 2008 because of two majors, never mind that Tiger Woods also had one among four victories in merely six events through a season cut by injury. Of course, there can be no faulting an outcome based on votes from peers. Debating the results of a subjective process is useless. Besides, it’s not as if McIlroy didn’t deserve it.
Publicly, Koepka took the news in stride. As quoted by Golf Channel anchor Rich Lerner, he noted that “Rory had a great year. Congrats to him.”
For a proud competitor known to be motivated by slights, though, one thing can be etched in stone: He believes he should have won it, and he will use the turn of events to drive him even more. The battle was lost. The war is still being fought.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
