by Jeff Skinner
As Rory McIroy was making his way around the 18th green on in the darkness Sunday night posing for photographers his smile was as wide as the huge Wanamaker Trophy. Watching him from my living room so was mine.
It was the best finish to a major all season, one that was called by many as one of the best of all time. And the new face of golf had his hands on the championship and the world at his feet. 
Rory McIlroy’s fantastic finish at the PGA Championship has placed him among the most elite players in the game. In the modern era only eleven men have won more major championships. Only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have won four professional majors faster than Rory. Rory could head off to play soccer and drink Guinness for the rest of his days and still make it to the Hall of Fame. And he is only twenty five.
McIlroy’s accomplishments on the course have garnered him millions of fans but his personality may have earned him millions more.
The golf world has been searching for the “next big thing” and the player to replace Tiger Woods for years and Rory has done his best to do just that.
Now, I am not saying that Woods is done and will never win another major but in his current state a return to his previous dominance is doubtful.
Will Rory win fourteen majors? Will he threaten Jack’s record? Both are questions that will be debated for awhile and I can’t say if either will happen but I will say this: Rory McIlroy is the new hero in golf.
We like our heroes to be brave and strong, to be honest and respectful, to be humble and to fight the good fight.
In the six years we have watched Rory mature from a young, chubby cheeked phenom to the fit and powerful number one player in the world. We watched him fall apart while trying to win his first major at The Masters. And then we watched him bounce back two months later to lap the field at the U.S. Open.
All along the way he has been open and honest and lived his life under scrutiny that would make others retreat from the media.
Has Rory had a misstep or two? Of course. You can’t grow up and not make mistakes.
He is on his third management team and suing his last team for mismanagement. During a spell of particular poor play he walked off the course mid-round. After happily living his life on social media he had to endure to pain of a breakup in the public eye.
But he took responsibility for all those issues. He is adamant about his lawsuit and is asking for what he feels he was promised. He admitted to making a huge mistake in withdrawing mid-round and said he has learned from it. And his breakup, as painful as it was, is just another step in growing up. Who hasn’t has relationship issues. Unfortunately his celebrity and affinity for social media forced his to be very public.
These issues have only made Rory stronger and more self-assured. Let’s face it growing up with every moment of your life in the public eye isn’t easy. All things considered Rory has done it fairly well.
What draws us to Rory is his honesty and openness. He’s a human not a programmed automaton. Ask him a question and he always answers. He doesn’t worry about his image or what is politically correct. He’s a straight hitter and a straight talker and the most likable of characters.
His golf game earns him millions of dollars but it’s his personality that earns him his fans.
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