"I don't see Rory as a flat-line player"

Interesting characterization of Rory McIlroy's recent on-course struggles by Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley, as told to The Guardian's Ewan Murray.

"He is never going to be a Nick Faldo who is going to flat line. We just have to accept that and let him get on with it. He will come through the bit of a trough that he has had; he'll come through and have success again. I don't see Rory as a flat-line player and I just think that's going to be part of his career for the rest of his life.

"Everybody is different and one of the reasons why he is so exciting is the fact that he is up and down. That's one of the reasons why Seve was so exciting, he was up and down, too. I think that's the X factor that Rory has. He can win every week."

Rory: "The game just isn't all there at the minute."

Rory McIlroy opens with 78 at Muirfield Village, two weeks from the opening round of the U.S. Open.

Bob Harig with McIlroy's post round thoughts.

Update on 2013-05-31 02:00 by Geoff

**Jeff Rude doesn't feel like we're going to get a Rory v. Tiger duel anytime soon, mostly because McIlroy is probably distracted.

McIlroy is in the midst of splitting from his management team and forming his own agency. One can surmise that has been weighing on him, has clogged his mind some. But he says no.

“Once I’m here I’m focused on what I need to do,” McIlroy said. “Right at the moment it’s not happening for me.”

Rory Making Another Agent Change?

Karl MacGinty breaks the surprising news that even fresh off signing huge endorsement deals with Nike, Bose and Omega, Rory McIlroy wants out of his deal with Horizon Sports. Horizon had taken over for Chubby Chandler's ISM at the end of 2011 after McIlroy fired the agent in an airport lounge.

From MacGinty's Irish Independent story:

McIlroy's father Gerry is expected to play a prominent role in the new operation. Just over 18 months ago, McIlroy, one of world sport's hottest properties, stunned golf by quitting the giant International Sports Management, run by Chubby Chandler, and joining Horizon, a Dublin firm with global ambitions.

Brian Keogh analyzes what apparently has been rumored for weeks and suggests that McIlroy has become more isolated in recent months.

What is clear is that McIlroy has always been regarded as headstrong by those who have worked closely with him since he burst on the scene in 2007.

As Ridge told The New York Times’s Karen Krouse earlier this year, in a piece headlined “The Branding of Rory McIlroy”, “he’s the boss.”

McIlroy’s comments in the media have generated plenty of controversy and his stance on who he might represent in the 2016 Olympic Games has arguably reduced his fanbase in the Republic of Ireland.

Close friends contacted by me recently confirmed that they have not been in touch with McIlroy for weeks, “unfortunately”, said one.

Rory: You're Playing For Ireland Whether You Like It Or Not!

Derek Lawrenson on the obscure IOC regulation that will absolve Rory McIlroy of the tricky decision of which country to play for in the Rio 2016 Olympics, assuming he qualifies.

R&A Chief Peter Dawson revealed the option...or lack of option Tuesday:

‘It’s quite ambiguous but there is a rule that says where a player has represented a nation at world championship level, it carries with them,’ he said. McIlroy played for Ireland at the World Cup, a world golf championship event. ‘We would very much like to take this burden of choice away from him if we can, because it is not fair on him,’ added Dawson.

Strange: Nike Man Curtis Lashes At Rory Critics, Appears To Have Forgotten His Similarly Disastrous Equipment Switch!

Curtis Strange, on a conference call to promote his work as part of ESPN's Masters announce team, says Johnny and Sir Nick have been "so out of line, so out of touch with club manufacturers now" in criticizing (here and here) Rory McIlroy's wholesale club switch.

Tony Jimenez of Reuters reports on the comments from the former Macgregor man who turned to Maruman man after winning two U.S. Opens…and never won again.

Thanks to reader Lloyd for the link and reminder of Strange's strange move.

Rory WD's From Medalist Member-Guest, Sparing World From Excessive Coverage Of Rich-Guys Gathering

Rex Hoggard reports that Rory McIlroy has been replaced by Keegan Bradley as Michael Jordan's Medalist member-guest partner.

This means there might be a little less media coverage of the hoped for pairing with Tiger Woods and Ahmad Rashad until Ahmad rehashes it all next week on Morning Drive.

This also means just one more pre-Masters competitive appearance for McIlroy.

Turns Out Rory Might Add Pre-Masters Event...

...this ought to get Las Vegas stirring, altering Rory McIlroy's current 9/1 Masters futures odds (thanks Steve Elling for Tweeting that).

From Doug Ferguson's WGC Cadillac Championship game story:

McIlroy said he won't add a tournament the next two weeks, returning at the Houston Open before going to the Masters. He is signed up for the member-guest a week from Monday at The Medalist Club, presumably as the guest of former NBA great Michael Jordan.

"He's asked me, so depending on what my schedule is and where I have to be ... we'll see," he said.

I smell live shot-by-shot Tweets from Rosie!

"Golf can get terribly po-faced at times."

Thanks to reader Ryan for sending in Tom English's Scotsman commentary on Rory McIlroy's apology/rationale for withdrawing, and as usual English has a thought provoking take that rises high above what we were subjected to earlier in the week.

Though I must admit, I didn't anticipate where he was going with this in bringing up past high profile WD's by Ian Poulter and Sandy Lyle, along with how "golf can get overly pious about these things." And his conclusion makes for a fascinating statement about the culture of golf.

That is the way of it. Tell a porky and save yourself some hassle. Everybody will turn a blind eye and we’ll all carry on as before, pretending that there is no chicanery in golf. No doping, no cheating, no gamesmanship and, in this instance, nobody who just has one of those lousy days when all they want to do was get out of there. Nobody is allowed to just quit. It has to be an injury. Or an “injury”.

Dave Shedloski says the same issues plagued McIlroy's game when opening with a 73 at Doral on a day the Blue Monster was defenseless. But I still like his chances of making it to the weekend!