As Tiger Woods stood on the 18th tee on Sunday about to play his final hole of the British Open, staring at half-empty grandstands surrounding the green, Rory McIlroy was pulling into the Royal Liverpool parking lot in a black Range Rover looking like a rock star, wearing a pair of aviator shades and an air of confidence.
Woods, a three-time British Open winner who has not won a major championship in six years, was miles from contention. McIlroy, with a six-shot lead, was about to begin pre-round preparations to win his first Claret Jug and third leg of a career Grand Slam.
It had the distinct look and feel of a changing-of-the-guard moment: Woods on his way out quietly and McIlroy on his way in about to make a big splash.
So, too, did the tone of some of Woods’ comments after finishing 6-over for the week in 69th place, 23 shots behind McIlroy — both career worsts for a major.
“I got four rounds in,’’ Woods said, as if that was supposed to be some grand accomplishment. “Unfortunately I didn’t play very well. I just made too many mistakes … two triples, two doubles … just way too many mistakes.’’
In fairness to Woods, he is three months removed from back surgery and has played only six tournament rounds since March 9.
Still, until he contends in a major again and wins, it’s difficult to envision Woods returning to any semblance of his old self. And it’s certainly difficult to see him keeping up with his protégé McIlroy, who has the look of a star ready to take off again after a brief interruption last year with management legal squabbles, a controversial equipment change and girlfriend issues.
McIlroy seems to have refocused on winning golf tournaments. It’s not likely McIlroy or anyone else will ever have the same kind of singular focus and pure, innate hunger to win majors and make history that Woods did in the late 90s and early 2000s. But McIlroy at least looks like he’s on a better track.
He said after his win Sunday he “never had doubts’’ he would get back to winning major championships.
“You can’t doubt your own ability,’’ McIlroy said. “All I had to do was look back at some of the great tournaments that I played. The ability was still there. It was just trying to find a way to make it come out again.’’
McIlroy said missing the British Open cut last year at Muirfield “was a very low point’’ that spurred him on.
“I never missed a cut at the Open before,’’ he said. “I really missed playing the weekend and I said to myself, ‘I’ll try to never make that happen again.’ ’’
When it was over, the 143rd British Open proved to be a gift that gave and will keep on giving.
McIlroy’s father, Gerry, got 50,000 pounds from the 100-pound bet he made at 500-to-1 that his son would win a British Open before he turned 26.
The 2015 Masters will get an extra dose of hype when McIlroy tries to complete his career Slam.
Interest in the upcoming PGA Championship at Valhalla becomes elevated with the golf world anxious to see whether McIlroy will turn his Open victory into a Woods-like run of dominance.
Rickie Fowler, with his runner-up finish, got further validation he is poised to win a major soon, having finished in the top five of the first three majors this year, including second in the last two.
Sergio Garcia, who tied with Fowler for second, got to show he’s come a long way in the maturity department, having ditched not only his “woe is me’’ attitude but that horrific canary-yellow outfit he wore at Hoylake in 2006.
Royal Liverpool got another Open champion of world-class pedigree as McIlroy joined Woods, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and Peter Thomson as winners on its links.
The upcoming Ryder Cup got a boost of fascinating storylines, beginning with what US captain Tom Watson will do if faced with the likely prospect of not having Woods or Phil Mickelson qualify for the top nine on their own.
Less publicized but equally compelling is the state of the European Ryder Cup team, which right now does not have stalwarts Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald in the top nine. This makes each set of captains’ picks must-see TV.
“The state of the game is incredibly healthy,’’ McDowell said. “It’s exciting.’’