Opinion & Analysis

McIlroy’s miserable 2013 season is over

Published

13 years ago

Sep 14, 2013

In a fitting coup de gras, Rory McIlroy fired his highest-ever two-round total on American soil (77-78) at Conway Farms, placing him dead last in the field of 70 at the BMW Championship. Thus, the 24-year-old is has ensured his elimination from the FedExCup Playoffs.

Rory’s 2013 performance wasn’t entirely awful. However, his walkoff at the Honda Classic will be both the enduring image and metaphor for his struggles during his maiden campaign as a Nike Golf staffer.

To view McIlroy’s 2013 season in its appropriate content, let’s take a trip back in time to the end of his 2012 campaign.

After a tie for fifth at the WGC-Bridgestone Championship last year, McIlroy won three of his next four events, including the PGA Championship by eight shots. He was undone by a final-round 74 at the Tour Championship and finished tied for 10th in the concluding event of the FedEx Cup.

Following the aforementioned blazing sprint through the finish line, McIlroy began his 2013 on a much different note with a missed cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. The golfer was then eliminated in his second match at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. He followed that with the showpiece of his 2013 season: a walkoff withdrawal and the subsequent PR fiasco after the Honda Classic.

A second-place finish at the Valero Texas Open in April was the high mark of McIlroy’s season, as his best finish in the majors was a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship.

Although he made cuts (13 of 15) and finished inside the top 10 in five of his 15 PGA Tour starts, he neither won nor really threatened to win in 2013, which is what we’ve come to expect from the boy wonder. After his success in 2012, nothing less than a major win and multiple other victories would have met expectations for McIlroy in 2013.

Late in the season, it seemed as though the whispers about his wholesale equipment switch, the effect of his relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki on his game and his ability to handle the harsh glow of the spotlight had quieted down. But McIlroy’s recent last-place performance awakens those murmurs once again.

After such a disappointing 2013, golf fans have to wonder: Will 2012 be the exception or the rule for McIlroy’s career?

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

14 Comments

OVER THE TOP GOLF

Oct 3, 2013 at 5:37 pm

Maybe you should lend him your blades.

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brian hunt

Sep 18, 2013 at 7:29 am

Rory is finished.He has forgotten how to play golf.It is not a long drive competition.Hitting it 250 yards is sufficient as long as it is in the fairway.Rory needs to go to Darrell Klassen, the finest golf teacher on the planet.Cheers, Dr.Brian Hunt.

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Jordan

Sep 17, 2013 at 10:15 am

Rory will be fine. As good as he is, he has his up and downs week to week. I think he missed a few cuts right before he won the PGA at Kiawah. Would like to see him and Tiger win sweep the majors in 2014!

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Shark

Sep 16, 2013 at 11:15 am

Look…..
Graham McDowell used to be with same mgmt as Rory and he made a decision after a dream year & major win at pebble to leave his Callaway irons etc & switch to Srixon.
He had a horrible following season.

These guys choose money over results. They deserve what they get. If you are a high level athlete I wouldn’t be changing anything when performing highly…. But they did… They are willing to write off a year or two until better again… If ever…

McDowell has never regained that form yet? Rory is regressing… Their choice. Greed.

Rory left the same mgmt, went to another, then to another using family, switched his clothing, equipment & ball from every component of the familiar to an unknown and after a major winning dream season he had a horrible following season.

Reply Report comment
- Nick
  
  Sep 16, 2013 at 4:38 pm
  
  So you’re saying you’d pass on 200 million dollars?
  
  Reply Report comment
Happyday

Sep 16, 2013 at 9:59 am

Its plain and simple, look at the stats from this year compared to last year. Ball striking in almost every statistical category is either better than last year or comparable.

Whats killing him is his putting, sometimes a guy just goes cold with a putter and that hurts. His short game numbers have be lower, but simply b.c he isn’t making the putts inside 10 as much as last year. I dont care how well you hit it, your still gonna miss a handful of greens a round, normally, dont make the putt on the up and down, guess what, a handful of bogeys.

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Billy

Sep 15, 2013 at 4:00 am

Go Rory. You’ll get them in 2014!

Reply Report comment
Zak

Sep 14, 2013 at 11:19 pm

I just don’t think Rory can take the spotlight. Some people can and some people cannot. I also think that this is Rory. Good years bad years, good months bad months.

Somebody made the point that he is trying too hard to be Tiger, it’s as if he has so e kind of personality disorder. It’s like when he was a kid he made a “this is what Tiger does” recipe to golf success. “Okay. How many squats does he do in a workout? How much did he bench at my age? What did he eat before a round? Well, sorry Mom, Tigers Dad greeted him after wins, so Dad is the only one that gets to greet me. Tiger switch from Titleist to Nike? Well then I have to play Nike as well.” etc. Its like he still has the hero worshipping child inside of him. I half expect him to show up to matches with a Frank head cover.

Rory needs to be Rory. He has skill. I’d bet he would be a much happier person as well if he just was himself.

Also, the expectations are different at Nike than at Titleist. Both expect great world class play, but Nike asks their players be in ads and do loads of media, etc. players leave Titleist because they don’t market the players. Their M.O. has always been (and probably always will be) to market the Vokey wedges, the Scotty Cameron putters, and the fact that they are the #1 ball in golf. They don’t market the players. Some players need that attention. I don’t think Rory knew what he was getting into, and before he knew it people, billion dollar companies had expectations of him.

We’ll see.

Reply Report comment
- ben
  
  Sep 17, 2013 at 4:29 pm
  
  You are stupid, it can take a while to get used to switching your whole bag and ball to a new manufacturer. Rory has stupid amounts of talent so once he gets used to the clubs again he will again start to win majors. And he would have known the corporate expectations when he signed with Nike. Wait for next season before you start telling yourself hes now crap ha
  
  Reply Report comment
Roger

Sep 14, 2013 at 2:04 pm

Rory will be back in the Winners Circle in 2014.
Go Rory!

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rtylerg

Sep 14, 2013 at 11:56 am

Hopefully these are just growing pains for Rory. I think he’s good for the game and I’d love to see him bounce back in a big way next year.

Reply Report comment
naflack

Sep 14, 2013 at 11:50 am

Appears to be caught up in a struggle to find a work / life balance.
Mr. Nicklaus could give him some pointers…

Reply Report comment
- rtylerg
  
  Sep 14, 2013 at 11:56 am
  
  I think you hit the nail on the head. It appears that Nike has been much more demanding to work for than Titleist. Just my observation.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Nick
    
    Sep 16, 2013 at 4:37 pm
    
    I suppose with the paycheck they cut him they were entitled to expect the same if not better from him.
    
    Reply Report comment

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