We just watched Rory lose complete belief in himself over the span of 4 holes. Staring his first major in 10 years right in the face, he putted like it. As invincible to pressure athletes seem these days, especially the elite golfers, Rory crumbled for the whole world to see. It’d be more acceptable if he had hit it out of bounds or had to take an unplayable from the wire grass. In that case, there would still be a question of whether he truly was affected by pressure or just hit a bad shot. The way this played out left no doubt. A major right there for the taking was too much for him. He choked.
I’ll be very interested to see where things go from here for Rory. On one hand, he’s as close as he’s been in years to finally breaking through and still has one more chance in a relative home game at The Open. On the other, he just stared down the only thing he’s wanted to do for a decade and let Rory McIlroy beat Rory McIlroy. If Rory makes both of those putts, he’s a major champion again and the release of pressure probably wins him a couple more. Instead, golf is cruel.
The other side of Rory’s misses is Bryson. Is he likable now? Why do I find myself cheering for him? How has this happened so quick? For years Bryson was an insufferable presence at tournaments, and he did himself no favors off the course with his long-drive phase. But, since Bryson has left for LIV he’s toned that stuff down and focused a lot on building his off the course presence mostly through Youtube. It’s working. Bryson might be the only person alive who has taken Saudi money and become more likable. Yeah, Bryson is odd and does weird things, but that’s what makes him hilarious. (It also very, very much helps that the majority of fans only seem him on the course 4-times a year.) Bryson is the TV Show Outer Banks. At first, you can’t believe you’re watching the show and can’t stand the terrible acting/absurd plot. Then, the insane amount of cliffhangers have you hooked and you can’t stop watching. And, by the end you realize maybe it wasn’t that bad after all. Keep going Bryson, you’re good for golf.
Georgia-ish 