I have given my 'take' on Jordan Spieth's Open Championship winning performance already, but the view on Rory McIlroy is that Spieth isn't going away, and can play any type of course. Rory has a genuine rival for dominance in the game, not to speak of wild cards such as Haotong Li that could emerge in the coming years. That next month's PGA Championship is at Quail Hollow is the best news Rory McIlroy could have right now.
"Welcome to the big time, Rory McIlroy", bellowed Jim Nantz of CBS when the County Down star blitzed Quail Hollow to win the 2010 Wells Fargo Championship, his US Tour breakthrough. He has subsequently won the event again and lost in a play off, so he loves the track. If he is to reassert his dominance in the game, this is the place to do it. It's now 3 years since McIlroy won a major. He knows he is going to keep getting asked that question. His character was good at Birkdale and he fought, despite some ordinary iron play. He is close to winning again. He should take Spieth's heroics as a positive challenge. And he doesn't need me or anyone else to tell him that.
China's Haotong Li's performance on the final day was completely fearless. The 21 year old won the China Open last year and has played solidly on the European Tour this season. A 63 with 4 closing birdies was fantastic. Hopefully he can continue his march forward
Branden Grace's excellent record breaking round of 62 may get lost amid the Jordan Spieth furore, but consider that it took 157 years and 442 majors for 62 to finally be posted. South African Grace has always been one of those players that when he gets it going, he can dismantle a course. With 7 European Tour victories and 1 PGA Tour win to his name, he is well capable of winning a big prize at a venue which suits his low ball game.
It was another good display by Swede Alex Noren, who has to be taken seriously in these events. Hideki Matsuyama's triple bogey at the first hole on Sunday ended his challenge, but he was playing nicely before then and will be a major contender at the PGA on the basis of his second placed finish at the US Open.
Rickie Fowler could never really get it going all week, but he still delivered a respectable performance and has won at Quail Hollow. Fowler has been the most consistent player all year. I felt Jamie Lovemark equipped himself well and could win a US Tour event soon. The same goes on the European Tour for Matthew Southgate, who has channelled his performance at last year's Irish Open into great results at Portstewart and Birkdale. Keep Lovemark and Southgate in your notebook.
Shane Lowry was very frustrated coming off the course on Thursday, as he believed he could have scored much better than 2 over. He would end up missing the cut, but I do expect him to put it all together between now and the end of the year. By his own admission. he's happy with his game, just not his scorecard.
