Rory McIlroy: Box Office Star, But He's Not Tiger Woods, Says Wayne Riley After Wentworth Playoff Loss
Published by Bonnyton Golf Club in Golf News · Monday 23 Sep 2024
Rory McIlroy remains one of golf's biggest attractions, but Wayne Riley believes fans are expecting too much, often unfairly comparing him to the legendary Tiger Woods. McIlroy's recent loss at the BMW PGA Championship, where Billy Horschel edged him out in a thrilling playoff, highlights the intense scrutiny the world No. 3 faces.
Riley, who described McIlroy’s performance as "box office," emphasised that Woods' dominance was on another level, and it's unreasonable to hold McIlroy to the same standard.
This latest near-miss at Wentworth adds to McIlroy’s frustrating season of close calls. Just a week earlier, he narrowly lost the Irish Open to Rasmus Hojgaard. These moments follow McIlroy's challenge at the US Open, where he stumbled in his pursuit of a fifth major title. Despite these disappointments, McIlroy continues to fight, and Riley believes the constant comparisons to Woods are unfair.
"He’s not a ‘bottle job,’" Riley stressed after McIlroy birdied the 18th hole before Horschel's eagle sealed the win. "He was kind of out of it but played his way back. He gives you pure theatre—he’s a great player, but Tiger was in a different stratosphere, and expecting Rory to be like that just isn't going to happen."
McIlroy Continues to Prove Himself
Despite the loss, Riley pointed out that McIlroy has won twice on the PGA Tour this year—an impressive feat. But with every near win, expectations seem to rise. Former PGA champion Rich Beem also weighed in, acknowledging the pressure McIlroy faces as a top competitor: "People want to slay the giants, and Rory is definitely a giant in the game. He’s going to get knocked down, but he’ll keep getting back up."
Beem admired McIlroy’s tenacity after his eagle on the 17th gave him a chance to win outright. Even though McIlroy came up short, Beem doesn’t see it as a loss: "He ground it out and gave himself a shot, and that’s nothing to be down about."
McIlroy: “I’m Proud of How I Played”
McIlroy himself remains optimistic. Despite the disappointment at Wentworth, he’s proud of his performance and is already looking ahead to the final stretch of the season. "I felt a bit scrappy down the stretch, missing some greens, but I played the last few holes well. I’m excited about the future," McIlroy said. He acknowledged that under pressure, he sometimes reverts to old habits but feels confident that the work he’s putting into his swing will pay off.
Looking ahead to the final three events of the year, McIlroy isn’t discouraged: "I’m happy with how I’m playing. Only two people have beaten me in the last two weeks. I just have to dust myself off and get ready for what’s next."
While McIlroy may not be on Tiger Woods' level, he continues to captivate fans and prove that he’s a force to be reckoned with in golf’s modern era.
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