Is Rory Mcllroy Ready to Dominate The British Open?

Written by George Misken
Thursday, 14 July 2011 07:13

Rory McIlroy tees off at 9.09 am on Thursday; The British Open fans have tremendous expectations for the young Irishman.

Is Rory ready to dominate his second straight major? McIlroy has to keep a lid on his emotions when facing the home crowd. He finished third at last year's British Open which leaves room for the hopeful.

The real question remains. Is he psychologically prepared to support the weight of media, fans, and competitors? The unspeakable name Augusta comes to mind. Rory lead the Masters by a shot when he collapsed, melting away like snow under the sun.

He remains bookies' favourite to win the Brisith Open 2011 (for now). Yet many others secretly hope Rory gets to face his American nightmare again.

With a forecast of challenging weather conditions, Rory's opponents secretly wish the weather element added to psychological stress turns the British Open into McIlroy's national horrible dream. Rory knows how his American ordeal began: with a shot so far left that nobody could see live or on video.

Who stands to gain the most from McIlroy's possible second major meltdown? We have a short list of usual suspects at hand. World Number 1 Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Jason Day.

Luke Donald arrives at the British Open following the victory at the Scottish Open last weekend. History is against him. Donald struggled in the British Open in the past. He finished inside the top 10 on one occasion only. McIlroy's meltdown would appear as an early Christmas present for Donald.

Lee Westwood has been playing the most accurate golf of his life in the past 24 months, finishing inside the top-3 five times in the last seven majors. Rory's collapse would help his efforts to conquer this year's British Open.

Martin Kaymer is in top form at the moment. The German recently climbed the World No. 3. Kaymer overtook Rory Mcllroy following Rory's decision to take few weeks off after the US Open triumph. He would certainly be a major beneficial from the Irishman's repetition of the Augusta debacle.

Jason Day was excellent at the US Open, where he finished second. The young Aussie is becoming one of the world's best players. After three consecutive top-10 finishes in majors, Day feels he is willing to take an unforgettable win. Not only he could benefit from Rory's possible meltdown. On paper, he could be one of the stress factors.

McIlroy plays down on the pressure brought in by media after his success at the U.S. Open. "I ve always wanted to be a successful golfer and be one of the best players in the world and to win major championships." McIlroy told NorthJersey.com "If I have to put up with a few things along the way, then I m fine with that."

Words are words. Reality is a whole different matter. With a weather forecast suggesting that the golfers who tee off late on Thursday will be better off, the media hype, the crowd pressure and some terrific contenders, McIlroy has to prove he is actually made of steel to win the British Open.

Golf Betting on the British Open is ongoing. These are the current odds (courtesy of Stan James):

Mcilroy Rory 8/1, Westwood Lee 10/1, Donald Luke 12/1, Kaymer Martin 25/1, Garcia Sergio 28/1, Mcdowell Graeme 30/1, Stricker Steve 30/1, Kuchar Matt 33/1, Day Jason 35/1, Schwartzel Charl 35/1, Watney Nick 35/1, Harrington Padraig 40/1, Mickelson Phil 40/1.

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