Rory: "I've never thought of breaking any records."

Tim Rosaforte includes a lot of great backstage color following Rory's win at Kiawah in this week's Golf World, including this polar-opposite-of-Tiger quote.

"I've never thought of breaking any records," he said. I said when I won my first one, I wanted to win a second. And now that I've won a second, I want to win my third. I've got no targets, no records. I've never been that kind of person. I just want to and play my golf and try to win tournaments. If they add up to whatever number it is at the end of my career, I'll be happy."

Comments

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

Perfect response from Rory. One at a time m'lad ... one at a time.

Besides which, now that advances in equipment have pretty much levelled out the game from a competitive aspect, it's more than likely we will never again see double digit major winners.

[Stord]

Phoney comment from Rory, but being fake has worked tremendously well for Mickelson - why not carry it on!

[Elf]

Some people are goal oriented others not :shrug:

But even if he was thinking 19 he'd be stupid to admit to it. Than the press would ask him every 3 sec about if he thought he could do it etc

[Rob]

He hasn't shown any fakeness of Phil yet, or the pathological lying that Tiger exhibits (I was too relaxed to win last week).

Until that happens, I am going to take Rory's words at face value.

[tlavin]

I, too, won't doubt what he's saying. He gets his motivation in other ways. I'm happy for him and I'm sure he'll win another three or four or five majors. That's hall of fame stuff. He's got nothing but game.

[judgeNjury]

eh...while i root for rory generally...

from the moment i heard him say this, i viewed it as a guy sniping at another struggling pro with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight...

shaddap rory, let your sticks do the talking

[Pete the Luddite]

@Stord-

So, what response would you consider acceptable and not phony?

[A3]

I like this kids attitude. Can't wait for him and Tiger to compete on a Sunday at Augusta.

[Brad]

Hey Stord, why is Phil fake. All those hours he spends at every tournament signing autographs is an illusion? The charity work he does for veterans and students not real? The school supplies he and Amy buy for students every year in San Diego is paid for with Monopoly money?

[Boston Golfer]

There's no response that will please everyone, so whether he has his sights set on getting to 15, then 19, I really don't care at all. I love the fact that he is not showboating. As much as I love witnessing history when I watch Tiger play, he blew the greatest hand ever dealt in sports, and so now watching him claw his back is the new game. In the meantime, the kid from Holywood has stepped through the crack in the door and is setting up shop. I hope he wins 20.

[BrianS]

Phil has gone on record saying his goal is to win 10 majors.

[Hawkeye]

Wheter Phil's public persona is an accurate reflection of his personal persona is totally irrelevant. He's simply a true professional, and a great ambassador for the game. What has this got to do with Rory, again?

[Ivan Morris]

It's very smart when you can answer a question in a nice way on the hop that makes sense without leaving yourself open to a whole raft of other stupid questions.

[elf]

@boston golfer the greatest hand ever dealt in sports? TW had first knee surgery in college - 3 on the same knee before he ws even close to 30. 'He was blessed with talent sure, but he's also worked at it, not coasted on it, and he has a bad knee.

[IanB]

@elf. Bad knee yes. Problem is he's also got a bad head. I wish I could find him likeable because he's been a sensational athlete, but sorry, the guy's a first class jerk....

[Ghillie]

He had won a major on a leg that was in tatters. He had just come off a win before he hit the hydrant and his world imploded. He did not win after the hydrant for a very long time. I'm thinking the head has cost him more than the knee ever did.

[benseattle]

This is unconsciously brilliant on Rory's part. Tiger Woods was doomed from day one when he made it clear that he was after Jack's record rather than enjoying the ride and becoming acknowledged as one of the two greatest of All-Time. Today he's constantly badgered about not winning in four years, when will he get to 15, can he possibly get to 18 or 19 and what's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong? The result it is, Woods will most likely fall short simply due to the intense pressure he's brought upon himself to win at least one of four specific tournaments each year. But this is golf and he may not win any ever again. The end product of this is that he has failed to reach his goal and thus he is a failure.

Jack, too, never had a targeted "majors" goal.... all he did was play and allow the wins to come to him.

[Homer]

Why hasn't anyone jumped on the fact that McIlroy has had a legitmate chance to win 5 of the last 10 Majors? He should have run away with The Open at St. Andrews if the weather had cooperated and he shot a 72(or better) vs. the 80. If he had drained 1 of 3 makable putts on the back 9 at Whistling Straights he's in the playoff, makes two and he's struggling to lift the Wanamaker trophy. Finally, Augusta last year should never have happened to him. While I agree he's not Tiger he certainly deserves all the attention he's going to get and for the moment appears to be a solid role model for aspiring young pros.