McIlroy Responds After Weiskopf Criticises His Determination And Putting

Rory McIlroy says criticism from 1973 Open champion Tom Weiskopf was not fair

McIlroy Responds After Weiskopf Criticises His Determination And Putting

Rory McIlroy ends what has been a disappointing year on the course for him after failing to win on tour for only the second year since 2008.

Rory managed four consecutive top-fives to start off 2020 but struggled to play his best post-Covid where his most impressive performance came at Augusta where he was T5th after an opening 75.

However, the elephant in the room is that it has been six full years without a Major victory and he certainly gets some criticisms for that.

Recent high profile criticism has come from 1973 Open champion Tom Weiskopf, who doesn't think he'll will win many more Majors and seems to fancy DJ's chances over his.

He also said he doesn't think McIlroy is a good putter.

“I look at Rory McIlroy and I think golf is something just for Rory to do,” Weiskopf told GolfWeek.

“I’ve said it for a while now that I don’t think he’ll win much more than the four he’s got, or maybe five, because I don’t see that determination and will to be the best.

"I think it is there in Dustin Johnson. I think he finally figured it out and this could propel him to win all four in one year.

“I don’t see any frustration.

“Life is good and it should be [for McIlroy] – he’s a multi, multi-millionaire and has a kid now – but I don’t see the Tiger attitude. It’s like he’s satisfied all the time.

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"The guy is not a good putter. He can hit some putts so off line with the wrong speed. He’s technically not a good putter but one of the purest swings you’d ever want to watch play in the game.

"Technically, he’s superior to Dustin Johnson, but Dustin has the confidence to do it every time.

“I know Rory works out but I bet if you watched them both work out, Rory would be a lot of laughs and giggles and Dustin would be balls to the wall and forcing a little bit more on himself and that’s what he’s done.”

McIlroy then responded with GolfWeek saying that Weiskopf's comments weren't fair and that he does care and want to be the best.

“I’ve never met Tom Weiskopf in my life, he’s never met me, so he’s obviously making a statement based on what he sees from the outside, but I don’t think that’s a fair assessment,” he told GolfWeek.

“I’ve shown throughout my career that I care, that I want to win, that I want to be the best. And I’ve been the best.

"It’s not as if I’m out there in the clouds and not thinking about it. I try my heart out on every single shot, every single tournament that I play.

“I maybe deal better with disappointment than I used to.

"I saw the interview where he said he sees no frustration. Like, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I mean, look at the Zozo. I’m breaking clubs, so there’s a bit of frustration there.

"Obviously, he didn’t watch that round of golf.”

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