So what face will the best golfer in the world present tomorrow when he re-emerges into public life for the first time since setting off the storm that has become 'McIl-gate?' Bruised and embittered from the experience, will he take the advice of Tiger Woods and learn to say nothing?
It’s certainly an option for the future, one practised by Woods and a number of other leading sportsmen.
But, in this period when he’s getting advice from all quarters, here’s mine for what it’s worth as the longest-standing member of the travelling British press corps: in Rory’s case, it would be a horrendous mistake.
Plenty to ponder: McIlroy has endured a tumultuous start to 2013 More from Derek Lawrenson... DEREK LAWRENSON: Plucky Pepperell is well worth his salt after stellar show at Wentworth 27/05/13 World of Golf: Proof that the Rory rumour mill can drive any journalist mad... 20/05/13 Derek Lawrenson: Taming Sawgrass was a major sign Tiger is ready to add to his dynasty 13/05/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Rock provides firm base for developing future English talent 06/05/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Guan is a marvel at just 14... but shouldn't he be in school? 29/04/13 Derek Lawrenson: Just when the Ryder Cup heroes seemed to have gone missing... McDowell scrambles back to his best form 23/04/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Scott told us he'd birdie the last... and he did! First Australian winner of Masters gives us a genuine Augusta fairytale 15/04/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Will another outsider put Augusta's star names in the shade? 08/04/13 DEREK LAWRENSON: Major rethink sees Poulter joining rusty Rory in Texas 01/04/13 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEPart of the reason this story has created quite so many headlines is because words were issued on McIlroy’s behalf that went against everything we know about him.
‘I’m not in a good place mentally,’ he said as he walked off the course last week after eight holes of his second round in the Honda Classic. That’s the real Rory: honest to a fault. It was a mistake, but we can all forgive those.
An hour later came a statement in his name from someone being too clever for their own good. A sore wisdom tooth. That’s not Rory, and a fat lot of good it has done him.
As he showed with his wondrous form from August onwards last year, McIlroy has no problem coping with the pressure of being the world No 1.
Look at the pressure he brought upon himself on the final day of the Ryder Cup when he arrived barely in time for his singles match and still came up smelling of roses.
McIlroy might be the most popular man in the press room on both sides of the Atlantic and he’s got there by being himself. The last thing he should do is to try to be someone else.
Tomorrow morning, he should say he has got some teething problems but it was no excuse and he shouldn’t have walked out. Sorry about that, but at the end of the day I am only 23 and we all know what this maddening game is like. Time to move on and work through these infuriating swing issues.
Some day soon, he will be the best player in the world once more. But it won’t help him in the future if alongside that he tries to be someone he is not.
Early exit: Rory stunned the world of golf by walking off the course at Palm Beach Courageous Compton shows heartThe bravest man in golf? We’ve mentioned him before but it’s always a pleasure to talk about the charming and courageous American, Erik Compton.
Two heart transplants by the age of 30 and yet still he played on and earned himself full playing rights to compete on the PGA Tour.
Given all he has been through, perhaps it wasn’t surprising that Compton should enjoy his best day yet in golf on Sunday, when the wind was blowing 30mph and turning the venue for the Honda Classic into a brutal test.
It was a day for the strong of mind — and there was Compton breaking par to finish in a tie for fourth place and earn himself a cheque for $226,000.
Now 33, he truly is an inspiration.
Inspiration: Compton continues to play at the very top of the gameFair play to America’s best golfers. In 12 official PGA Tour events held on US soil since the Ryder Cup, Americans have won 11 of them.
And who is the only European to have won a title during this sequence? My cap is tipped in your direction if you come up with this name: one Jonas Blixt, from Sweden.
Quote of the week
'I'm very neutral on putter anchoring but the thing that would disturb me is if the PGA Tour took a different stance to the final position of the USGA. We’ve always played by one set of rules and we should stay that way.'
Jack Nicklaus puts forward a characteristically eloquent argument. The European Tour made their support of the proposed ban on anchoring official yesterday, backing the PGA Tour into a corner with their opposition to it.
Time for the rules makers on both sides of the Atlantic — the United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club — to stand firm, therefore, and instigate the ban; time for the PGA Tour to follow Jack's advice.
Not in our name: The PGA has come out against the proposed ban of anchored putters from 2016Anyone following his enormously entertaining and wacky Twitter account will get a good idea of how much Englishman David Lynn is enjoying his rookie season on the PGA Tour.
On Saturday, the 39-year-old played with Tiger Woods for the first time and posted a photograph of Tiger in triumphant pose, eating Lynn for breakfast. It didn’t turn out that way as the Stoke man outscored him by two strokes — and added another sub-par round on Sunday to finish tied fourth.
With $321,000 earned already from six events, he's made a wonderful start to ensuring this isn’t a one-season wonder.
Rocking rookie: Lynn (right) is greatly enjoying his first season on the PGA Tour
