"I lost a couple of balls on Monday that weren't far off the fairway."

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Tom English tells us about Rory McIlroy's big problem these days: the throttle on his new gun metal grey Ferrari F430. And there's Rory's shock at being the third favorite at 25-1 behind Tiger and Sergio. "Bonkers" he calls it.

But he also offers this Turnberry scouting report:

"I saw the golf course in two completely different winds, which is a really good thing. Some holes were playing a lot longer the second day and some were playing a lot shorter. It was really interesting to see how the course can change like that."

A lot of his time was spent gawping at the rough. Some if it is nightmarish, he says. It's like instant death in places. He left there on both days with a very clear thought in his head: be accurate off the tee or prepare for an early exit.

"You have to really, really drive the ball well. The rough being the way it is, the people who drive it well are going to have a chance and the people who don't hit many fairways are going to struggle. With the spring that we've had, we've had quite a lot of rain, but it's also been quite warm so the very bottom of the rough is very lush and very thick and long and it only becomes more wispy the higher up it gets. It can be very difficult to find your ball. I lost a couple of balls on Monday that weren't far off the fairway. There are certain holes where the rough is a lot worse on one side than the other. The ninth for example. You can miss it left all day at the ninth but if you go five yards right of the fairway you'll be doing well to find your ball."

After Long And Distinguished Career, Rory Hands Torch To Next Irish Golfing Great

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There is no truth to the rumors that Rory sustained injuries when burly agent Chubby Chandler sidearmed his young, in-need-of-a-haircut prodigy to slip a card in the pocket of Shane Lowry, amateur and shocking Irish Open winner.

Actually, not entirely shocking considering his topsy-turvy backstory as laid out by Brian Keogh.

Peter Dixon in the Times:

Among those on hand to congratulate Lowry was Rory McIlroy, who put his arm around him after he had missed the “winning” putt in regulation play and told him, “Hang in there. You are still going to win.” And at the end it was McIlroy who led the celebrations by spraying the victor with champagne and whispering in his ear that it was time to turn pro. “He's got nothing left to prove and will learn much more out here than in the amateur ranks,” he said.

Bill Elliott in the Guardian:

For Lowry, there is much to savour. His first European Tour victory came in his first European Tour event, as only the third amateur ever to win on tour and the first to win on his debut.

Unbylined in the Belfast Telegraph:

As Lowry stood on the 72nd hole over a five foot putt for birdie and victory, the title was at his mercy. Yet he couldn’t resist a look, pulling the putt left of the hole.

“Obviously the nerves got to me and I just pulled it. I was just shaking over that putt,” said the 22-year-old, who buried his head in his hands.

In the massive crowd surrounding the green, his mother Briget did the same.

But McIlroy made sure to put his arm around his former Irish amateur teammate’s shoulder as he left the green, saying: “You’ve still got this. You are still going to win this.”

These vital words and the calm assurance of his caddie, David Reynolds, helped Lowry (pictured right) regain his composure for the playoff and later he’d pay due regard to McIlroy.  “I’ve known Rory for a few years now and I’d wondered if he’d wait around for the finish. I actually thought about that for some reason, I don’t know why,” said Lowry. “It was great to see him there.”

Rory Not Backing Down; Earning Raves For Faldoesque Honesty!

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From the Telegraph:

Northern Irishman McIlroy, who had said that individual competition was more important to him, added to his remarks of Wednesday. "At the end of the day it's (the Ryder Cup) a great event, probably the best spectacle in golf. But sometimes it's been taken a little too seriously.

"If I get into the team it will be massive and I'll enjoy it."

Peter Hutcheon in the Belfast Telegraph defends the young lad, saying his attitude reminds of a young Nick Faldo.

But at its inception as a friendly match between two sets of golfers, it was never meant to be this colossus, which dominates the game like no other.

McIlroy is the first in a generation to dare break the party line and point out that the whole thing has grown out of all proportion.

I dare say he will enjoy the cut and thrust of the competition against the Americans when his turn comes.
But his sights are set on achieving much more in the game.

I'm sorry, but if Anthony Kim said the same thing, the British press would be ripping him to shreds!

"Yeah, I've found that hunting zombies and carjacking a Ferrari in South Beach is a lot tougher in real life than it is in video games, too."

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Jay Busbee with that killer line to this revelation that Rory McIlroy is finding the real TPC Sawgrass much more difficult than the video game version he knew before this week.

Rory McIlroy, who knows a thing or two about both real golf and the video kind. He kills time between tournaments by playing Tiger Woods '09, and just this week got his first live taste of Sawgrass, a course he's completely mastered --he once shot a 54 over 18 virtual holes -- on the game. His verdict, according to Reuters:

"It's a lot different. You get up to holes like 11 on the computer and you can drive it up to the big tree on the right, which is like 150 from the green, I had a good drive yesterday and was still hitting a five wood in, it is not quite like it is on the Play Station," he told reporters.

Yeah, I've found that hunting zombies and carjacking a Ferrari in South Beach is a lot tougher in real life than it is in video games, too. (Tip: neither one is recommended.)