Just 25-years old, McIlroy already has two Majors under his belt. In 2011, he became the second youngest man after Woods to win the US Open, and established himself as one of golf’s best players by winning the PGA Championship in the year after. His best days are still ahead of him, but he’s already shown tremendous potential.
Being a talented young golfer, it is no surprise that McIlroy is favored to win his third major championship in the coming 2014 US Open at +900. To get you primed on the hot shot, we’ve broken down five reasons McIlroy will take home the U.S. Open this June, even in a field of young sleepers who will challenge for the win.
What are you waiting for? Create a betting account and read on for everything you need to know to cash in on this world-class talent.
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Five Reasons Rory McIlroy will Win the U.S. Open for Golf
An Outstanding 2014
McIlroy had a tough 2013.
[sc:Golf240banner ]On the Euro Tour, he missed the cut in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the BMW PGA Championship and the Irish Open. He had a similar run-in playing in the PGA Tour when he failed to win a single tournament, even missing the cut in the Open Championship.
This bad run in competition was capped-off by a poor show in sportsmanship when he walked off in the middle of the Honda Classic. His horrid season slid him down to sixth after being ranked first in the world.
That being said, McIlroy has returned to his top form this season. In a strong 2014 season so far, McIlroy has won the BMW Championship, the Euro Tour’s biggest event. McIlroy also finished in the top 10 in five of his last six tournaments, including an eighth place finish in the Masters Tournament.
McIlroy is on a decent run. Based on his form throughout the season, McIlroy looks good for another run at the U.S. Open this year.
Resilience
The turnaround from the tumultuous 2013 to the currently fruitful 2014 season, is a testament to McIlroy’s ability to rebound.
The Northern Irish golfer is no stranger to staging momentous comebacks. Just a week before the BMW Championship, McIlroy called off his high-profile engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. In a very emotional state, he said he’d be happy to just make the cut-off. As it turned out, he won the event.
After a disappointing (by Rory’s standards) 15th-place finish in the Memorial Tournament just a couple weeks back, expect McIlroy to rebound in the U.S. Open, a position McIlroy showed he was comfortable with at the 2011 U.S. Open Championship.
In 2011, McIlroy was leading by four shots entering the final round of that year’s Masters at Augusta, but ultimately lost his lead after a triple bogey on the tenth hole. He followed up Augusta with four days of flawless golf in the 2011 U.S. Open with a dominant score of 16-under, leading the runner-up Jason Day by eight shots. Aside from pulling away from everyone else’s scores, McIlroy also set a number of records including finishing with 268 which broke the US Open record by four shots.
Rory McIlroy’s Swing
McIlroy’s unique swing has brought him to the top of the golf world, winning him two Major Championships, and a bevy of smaller tournaments, and top-10 finishes. This unique swing makes him one of the longest hitters in golf.
The 25-year old golfer employs a classic modern-day swing which uses a combination of great lower body stability and plenty of torso turn. This combination allows him to restrict the rotation of his hips during his backswing to build more recoil with his upper body, while using every ounce of the torque created by his coil to swing through impact.
However, unlike most elite, long-hitting players, McIlroy is exceptionally flexible. A moment before impact with the target, McIlroy has the ability to suddenly change the direction of his left hip, jerking it back, before rotating again. This movement causes his upper body to lean away from the target while his lower body is moving toward it. The results is a very powerful swing making him capable of covering long distances.
Changes in Pinehurst No. 2
The changes to Pinehurst No. 2 ahead of the US Open should also play in McIlroy’s favor.
The course underwent a massive redesign in 2010, making it a very different course than the one that held the US Open in 1999 and 2005. The fairways were widened, the bunkers changed, and the course was lengthened by 300 yards. However, the biggest change is that there will be no rough at all in the course, putting the focus on giving players strategic choices with the wider fairways. This gives a long-hitter such as McIlroy the potential to use the driver, his best weapon, to cover longer distances, and therefore use fewer shots to the hole.
Maturity
McIlroy has already shown maturity in bouncing back from adversity, but to change his style is no easy task. Although changes to Pinehurst No. 2 provide more space for McIlroy to use his driver, he is also ready to play a safer, longer game.
To conquer this course, specifically the 10th hole, McIlroy will bring out his iron game. This may not be too entertaining for the casual eye, but he seems undeterred in taking a more measured approach.
Changing up his game in favor of a more conservative one isn’t the only thing reinforcing McIlroy’s maturity. Everything he’s faced heading to the U.S. Open, in and away from the game, has had a stake in his growth not only as a professional golfer but also as a human being.
All told, the Northern Irishman will put it together at a favorable Pinehurst course that will watch him leave the field in the dust, well worth the investment at +900.
