Rory on Ryder Cup: 'Completely different pressure'
- By Jay Coffin
- Sep 5, 2012 2:31 PM ET
CARMEL, Ind. – Rory McIlroy is the best player in the world and will be at the end of the week, no matter how he plays. He was a solid No. 1 after the dominating victory at the PGA Championship last month and created more distance from the pack Monday with a win at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
With all that McIlroy has achieved in such a relatively short span, it’s hard to imagine that it was only two years ago when a 21-year-old, wet-behind-the-ears McIlroy played in his first Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in Wales.
He recalled Wednesday at the BMW Championship that he was nervous. Extremely nervous.
“The first day I was so tight, I was tentative, I was just trying not to make mistakes instead of going out there and free-wheeling it,” McIlroy said. “I think the thing about the Ryder Cup is that it brings a completely different pressure than you face week in, week out, because if you play badly, it’s all you. You’re not letting down your teammates or your captains or your country.”
McIlroy ended the week with a 1-1-2 record.
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Tags: BMW Championship, Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy
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Coffin has been editorial director since 2008 and is a contributor to the "Grey Goose 19th Hole."
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