John Masterson: Rory McIlroy being a good guy spells bad news

Rory McIlroy ends the season on a high in Dubai

John Masterson

I am a little bit worried about Rory McIlroy. He is far too nice a guy for his own good. Any golfer will tell you that the worst thing that happened to Tiger Woods was developing a more rounded personality, growing up a little, becoming a bit more mature. He is probably a much better person these days. But he has been absent from the winners enclosure for a while now and the thoughts of him ever matching Jack Nicklaus's record of winning 18 Majors have totally receded. He was much better at the golf when he was a pr**k.

Rory, to his credit, has never had Tiger's womanising character flaws. He has always seemed well-grounded and his awesome talent has seen him pick up the titles without losing his likeable personality. Sure, he was single-minded. It takes determination at his age to take on his management company and break up an engagement and keep his mind on the day job. That he is now in a happy place was evident in Dubai last Sunday morning.