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<\/a>Now that he\u2019s won his second major with what can only be called Tigeresque domination, it\u2019s clear that Rory McIlroy\u00a0has taken total control emotionally of his game, just as he has continued to refine its physical, technical genius.\u00a0\u00a0 Tiger always looked angry winning, and in his press conference after the final round of the PGA Championship, said he had erred in trying to enjoy himself on Sunday.\u00a0 He described himself as an \u201call systems go\u201d kind of player, not the sort of competitor who can relax and relish what he\u2019s doing.\u00a0\u00a0 That sounded like a rationalization, but given that Tiger has always been open to experiments with his swing, perhaps he\u2019s taking that approach to his psychic equipment as well.<\/p>\nBut Rory, his smile on the 18th green radiating the joy he clearly felt, never mistook the concentration he was required to bring to every shot with a martial attitude toward the game or his fellow competitors.\u00a0 He executed brilliantly, and then walked on with a jaunty stride.\u00a0 The galleries enjoyed singing his name, the lilting strains\u00a0confirming that he’s famous enough now to be known only by a single name.\u00a0\u00a0The handshakes and congratulations from Bo Van Pelt and Carl Petterson to Rory, whatever disappointment they surely felt, also\u00a0seemed genuine.\u00a0\u00a0 Superstars build audiences, as Tiger proved, and Rory\u2019s popularity eventually means money in the pockets of the touring pros, but I don\u2019t think that is what motivated their pats on the back.<\/p>\n
Rory seems, as he appeared to in the wonderful interviews David Feherty did with him in Ireland last year, a genuinely nice person.\u00a0 The people I know who also know Rory are unanimous in praising his intelligence, his generosity, and his loyalty.\u00a0\u00a0 Winning one major by eight shots might have been a fluke, but winning a second by the same record-margin was the result of superior skill and execution.\u00a0\u00a0 Rory is now one for the ages, and it will be all of our great pleasure and privilege to sit back and enjoy what will surely be a career trajectory arcing across the stars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"