McIlroy serves timely reminder that he can be Europe’s top dog
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Form is temporary and all that, but even class players need to hit a patch and Rory McIlroy’s return to the winners’ enclosure couldn’t be timelier for Europe’s Ryder Cup chances.
A spectacular victory for McIlroy at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston saw the Ulsterman overhaul Paul Casey’s six-shot overnight lead, thanks to a closing six-under-par 65, featuring seven birdies.
Being on home soil, USA are still the favourites to prevent Darren Clarke’s travelling party taking an unprecedented fourth Ryder Cup crown in succession, with odds of 8/15 mirroring 15/8.
However, in a team flush with six debutants, having a talisman such as McIlroy firing on all cylinders could be priceless to his captain and compatriot come the end of September.
A first win on the PGA Tour in 16 months for the former world number one owed as much to his tweak in putting technique as to anything else.
The decision to consult famed putting guru Phil Kenyon paid dividends that should now spill over into the rest of the FedEx-Cup playoffs, the Ryder Cup, and the conclusion of the Race To Dubai series.
A subtle change of grip was credited for McIlroy’s blistering return to touch on the greens in Boston and having landed a pair of top 10s at Majors this season without ever really troubling the top of the leaderboard in the biggies, the missing link has clearly been his control of the flat stick.
Having elevated himself to number three in the world rankings heading into the BMW Championship, there really aren’t many better-sounding picks than R-Mac to gain the most Ryder Cup points at Hazeltine for team Europe as it stands.
We price the multiple Major winner at 4/1 to bring in the greatest haul.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
