New thread as old one is nearly at 10000 post limit.
Old thread
The line above is factually wrong. They were all square at this point.
No they weren't. He's talking about the 16th (70th green). Which was 2'6", 30 inches and the real killer. His head was gone after that. The putt on 18 was actually a foot longer, but he doesn't miss that one had he not missed the one on 16.
Oh yeah. My bad. Took 70th for 72nd. Thanks for the correction.
No bother
Look, choke is not nice word, I get it. But whatever way you wanna call it the pressure got to him.
And we're not talking about Sunday league for 12 year olds where it's all about everyone 'competes' and being supportive to the kids. It's the highest level. It's tough there and your performance is going to be judged mercilessly. Which I didnt think this article was. Just calling a spade a spade.
And to be honest we all know Rory's mental game is his weak side. He's the best golfer there is, but he's always been prone to shakes under pressure.
He didn't "completely" choke.
He had a 2 shot lead with 5 to play. He played those 5 holes in +3.
Its one of the biggest chokes I've seen in golf.
for it to be considered not completely choking…. I would say that you give up your lead… but not all of it and you just about hold on to get over the line or maybe playoff
Article is grand except for usage of the words "choking" and "meltdown". If he choked, he choked. Not sure why anyone should expect Rory to admit it in front of the world. If it's what happened, as long as he's honest about it with himself, the rest of us don't matter unless the journo thinks that he should hold himself up to ridicule by sharing it with the rest of the world many of whom revel in the deficiencies of people who have achieved far more than they ever will from behind the cloak of anonymity that is the internet.
The use of the word "meltdown" is dangerous hyperbole in my view. He didn't have a meltdown - he missed two shortish putts in a major championship.
Once he went two shots clear:
From the moment he got the lead, he mad a mistake on every hole from there. That's a meltdown.
I hope and am sure that Rory McIlroy won’t be in denial, will recognise that he bottled it and will use his years of experience and knowledge and reserves to face up to what happened and be honest with himself.
No question about it being a choke - I meant that he didn't "completely" fall apart. There were a few shots in there where he held his nerve well.
Anyway, well done to Bryson - the 2 of them made it special.
Let's see if McIlroy can throw off the shackles at Troon. That would be one hell of a way to re-write the narrative around him. He'll have the crowd with him all the way Ryder Cup style.
He'd surely then kick on to win a few more. Who wouldn't want to see him surpass Faldo's major haul (except for Faldo)?
No question about it being a choke - I meant that he didn't "completely" fall apart.
He made a mistake on every hole once he got the lead. That's as close to completely falling apart as you're going to get.
Bryson made a mistake on nearly every hole of the 18 so that logic doesn't hold up at all.
And did Aberg also completely choke?
At least McIlroy finished ahead of Cantlay. Silver lining.
"Meltdown" is a word I don't like because there are some connotations around it that I don't think are appropriate for sport. The pressure got to him, no question. Why anyone has to use hyperbolic terms to describe it, I don't know.
I don't get the whole choker label in golf really. If someone is a choker then surely they're never getting into a position to win in the first place. A choker to me might be more appropriate when speaking about someone who can't make a cut.
Rory has 40 professional wins including 4 majors, hardly the CV of a "choker"
Deadly off the tee, iffy at putting - "choker".
Iffy off the tee, deadly at putting - "balls of steel".
Doesn't make sense really.
But thinking again about this -what does that matter? As someone pointed out there's no protocol that requires anyone to stay for the presentation. Why should someone who has left an emotionally charged Major slip through his hands
( almost literally ! ) wait around to congratulate the guy who won it when he can do that any time.
I was wrong to think it was 'bad form' because I foolishly thought there was some convention for a runner up to follow. Rory was in no fit state for any social contact at that time -he needed to be alone or with family to try to process and come to terms with what had transpired.
Aberg obviously choked.
Bryson didn't make a mistake on every hole. If Bryson lost, people would have said he choked.
He missed a couple putts that happens time and time and time again in pro golf. Because it happened to be at a major nearing its end, the narrative that he choked is that much more appealing to pedal. Rory could have felt damn steely and confident putting those two missed putts, but that doesn't mean he sinks them. That's golf
There's a difference between a word you don't like and one that's wrong.
I think that is the point being made, Bryson didn’t have to play that well, and wasn’t when he was 2 behind with 5 holes to go. In fact, he played the last 4 holes +1, and held his nerve to capitalise on Mcilroys capitulation. When it came time to sink the winning putt, he was equal to the task, and went home with the trophy, that’s what counts.
It isn’t a medical term, is used in every day life without a defined meaning, so I’m not sure what connotations concern you.
Not sure I said it was "wrong".
Doesn't have to be a medical term. It's hyperbole and I think it's not really appropriate for the situation it's trying to describe. That type of phraseology just encourages extreme opinions IMO.
He didn't have a meltdown
I'd consider that someone saying the word used is wrong. If you wanna argue semantics over the word "wrong", who cares?
So I didn't say "wrong"? Good man.
mad how he putt 496 out of 496 before that at that distance. But yeah I’m sure it wasn’t nerves that he missed his 497th. Weird that people care so much about choking and bottling, it happened to him, he will move on I’m sure.
Jaysis, fairly pathetic stuff. I never stated you used the word wrong if you wanna get into childish responses.
That golf digest article is excellent.
Then Rory exits, and he looks worse than before. He's wearing his failure to such an extent that I have to look away. Suddenly, he's being followed by a stream of people that includes the Netflix crew and the smiling face of Sergio Garcia.
Of all the ways Rory's being trying to prepare to win majors - forget it all and hang onto this.
He didn't putt 496 from 496 from that distance. It was within 3 foot - so that distance or shorter. Pressure got to him, no doubt. But stats like that, without context, are being used to maximise and exaggerate the scale of what happened.
Ye thats not what happened.
If that was the case there would have been no reason to go all Mr. Thundercloud, storm out and withdraw from next week. Because it would have been 'ah sure bad luck what harm happens to everyone all the time'. It doesnt.
yeah so distance wise that would have been his worst out of 497.
I couldn’t care less. But you seem a tad irritated when folks aren’t so ready to see it as “choking.”
It’s hardly an exact science/definition anyway. It can always be open to interpretation. Personally I don’t see it as clear cut as some others.
ah right fair enough, I guess everyone has a bar for it. If this wasn’t then you must rarely see a sportsperson choke, fair enough
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wa.vanillicon.com/v2/a46418388544fe9f8f6352b57fb2f921.svg)
