RORY McIlroy must be a body language expert’s dream.
Whether by accident or design, everything he does carries a bit of an exaggerated edge. Standing around 5′10″, the Holywood man has filled out a bit since his competitive Royal County Down bow at the 2007 Walker Cup, curly locks and teenage puppy fat long traded for solid shoulders and one of the most instantly recognisable struts in world sport.
If studies were conducted, and a string of subjects asked how best to project confidence and conviction, McIlroy’s purposeful stride would form part of the perfect package.
On the course, though, is where that ice-man aura melts a little. Smiles, grimaces, swinging arms, twirling clubs, eyes to the heavens, cheeks puffed in exasperation – Rory’s rounds could almost be measured in facial expressions alone.
Yet, as his pro career rolls towards an 18th year, it is that emotion, and the fallibility that falling short on some of game’s biggest stages brings, which draws the public closer now than at any other point; a 10-year Major drought unintentionally softening his appeal to the masses.
Back on home soil, which has been far from kind to him by and large, McIlroy is sure to have felt the love from the other side of the rope. The grandstand at the first tee, already full for Shane Lowry’s start 10 minutes earlier, was wedged tight by the time McIlroy arrived at 1pm; a late dash from all corners of the course seeing a line of bodies well up the fairway, expectation hanging heavy in the sea air.
Despite black clouds occasionally hanging overhead, the worst of the day’s weather had come during a short downpour around lunchtime, leaving Lowry searching for cover.
Playing alongside defending champion Vincent Norrman and fellow north Down native, Tom McKibbin, it wasn’t long before master McIlroy was showing his apprentice how it was done, picking up an early birdie as the 21-year-old struggled with the crosswinds.
And, for all his renowned power from the tee, it was McIlroy’s short game drawing oohs from the galleries up among the heather, a perfectly judged chip onto the fourth green – using the slope on the side to take the heat out of his approach - landing three feet from the hole.
Yet an audible tut had already come on the second when a drive pulled out left and into the rough, with the first “f**k” of the day saved for the seventh when two-putting at the par three.
But, considering the disaster of McIlroy’s opening day on the same course nine years ago - when he walked off after shooting eight-over - the signs were already promising that, this time around, he was going to serve up something a bit different.
And he did, three birdies in-a-row at the last leaving him in the three under pack two shots off leader Todd Clements; a few ghosts already laid to rest.
“It’s been great,” he said.
“I came here and practiced and played nine holes on Monday, didn’t come to the course on Tuesday and then played the Pro-Am and practiced last night.
“To go out there today and hit the ball the way I did and play the way I did, it was quite pleasing to see that some of the stuff that I’ve been working on this week, I’ve been able to take it out on to the golf course, and it’s felt pretty good.
“I felt like I controlled my ball flight well. I’ve been working a little bit on my swing these last couple of weeks… it felt a little better. I’ve probably struggled a lot in left-to-right winds this year, so to sort of control my ball flight a bit and test it out there today was good to see that, you know, I was able to do it when I needed to.
“Like any links course and with wind like this, especially crosswinds, it’s about managing ball flight and giving yourself enough margin for error so that even if you are a little bit off you’re not getting yourself in huge trouble.
“And I think I know this place well enough that I know the right side to miss it… that was one of the things did I well today. Even when I did miss it, I missed it in the right spots.”
And on the treacherous tee at the 16th too, McIlroy was able to steer clear of danger after it had claimed a few victims throughout the course of the day.
“I was surprised at where my ball finished,” he laughed, “I thought it was a bit right and it finished sort of pin-high there just to the side of the green.
“It was nice to get that ball up-and-down, and I think as well, you know, you chip it to four feet and you’re waiting to hit your putt for five or six minutes… you can start to think about it too much, and to hole that putt was nice.
“I made four great swings on the last two holes that both 17 and 18, and the two second shots. It was nice to finish like that.”
Following the 35-year-old around at close quarters feels a lot like living inside a computer game, especially with Sport Sports’ on-course commentator, Wayne Riley, providing the soundtrack.
The Aussie patrols the fairways in the same manner as legendary broadcaster David Attenborough whispers his way around the Serengeti, though it is unlikely too many wildebeest in body-warmers ask Attenborough to stop for selfies while he traverses the reserve.
And, heading towards the sixth, it was a familiar face at the top of the leaderboard that grabbed Riley’s attention.
“Soren Kjeldsen again,” he announced after the Dane, 2015 Irish Open champion at Royal County Down, finished on two-under, “you gotta be joking…”
Inside the ropes, ‘Radar’ – sporting his trademark broad-brimmed brown hat, replete with jutting antenna – uses his years on the tour to find the right spot; see, and remain unseen, the key.
With poor positioning causing me to be heckled during a first, and last, security gig at George Best’s funeral – “get out of the way, you fat bastard” – it was an education to watch the man at work.
Not long after, though, it was pastry rather than putts Riley was interested in, making a public plea for a sausage roll and red sauce. Food for thought as the action was starting to hot up, with a shivering McKibbin getting in on the act after birdies on the 17th and 18th sent him in reasonably happy on three over.
“Yeah, the finish was nice.
“To get those two back that I dropped on 16, and to finish at three after going to five, will make dinner taste a little bit nicer tonight.”
And playing alongside McIlroy whetted his appetite for a bit more of the same in future.
“It’s obviously a little bit different than what we normally get but I’ve played in it a few times; at The Open and US Open there’s a lot of people, so it wasn’t too bad.
“Obviously there’s big support for Rory, it was pretty cool. To be paired with him for the first two days is pretty special,” he said, before smiling, “it was nice to stood over some tee shots knowing you might not lose your ball.”
Despite better than anticipated conditions, the course still showed its teeth at times, with Padraig Harrington – despite an eagle at the first – finishing up two over, Lowry going one better as the final groups started to come home on Wednesday evening.
Simon Thornton had mixed emotions on the short trip home too after a challenging day, the Newcastle man getting off to a stunning start with three birdies in the opening four holes after commencing his Irish Open on the 10th.
And 12-year-old son Ryan was already counting his father’s winnings, projecting a nine-under-par score by the time the final ball was struck on Sunday afternoon.
“If only golf was the easy, eh?” sighed Thornton, as his round eventually drifted out to two over when all was said and done.
“Ah, I’m a little disappointed; I should’ve been in around par at worst. A bad tee shot on six, made bogey, bad tee shot on seven… I got away with six but seven was disappointing, which makes it so much harder given the quality of the field that’s here.
“It all depends on the weather now - tomorrow morning looks really good, the afternoon looks pretty poor, so that could be a deciding factor. But we’re hopefully ahead of the game, where I am now.
“Before today I would’ve taken where I’m sitting on the scoreboard.”
Rory McIlroy would echo those sentiments. The real test now is to make sure he stays there.
