このTaylorMade TP MC 14アイアンは、こう言ってはなんですが、TaylorMadeから出た久しぶりの本格アイアンという感じで、300forgedを使ってた身としては、やっとちゃんとしたアイアン出してくれたなという印象です。
ちゃんと作ると、すごくいいクラブ作れるんですよ、TaylorMadeって。
PGATOUR.COM: If you were being honest with yourself in grading your season last year, what would you give yourself and why?
RORY McILROY: Perhaps 7 out of 10. Many things of course could’ve been better but I think I’ve worked through most of the necessary changes with my clubs and my swing. And 2013 ended on a much more positive note.
PGATOUR.COM: What was your lowest point of 2013?
McILROY: Probably The Honda back (last) February. I made a mistake walking off the course and disappointed not just myself. Golf can be a frustrating game and emotionally tough. What’s important, though, is that I’ve learned from that episode. I need to stay patient and play my way through the difficult patches.
PGATOUR.COM: The single-biggest thing you learned from those struggles was … ?
McILROY: The ability to pick myself up after disappointment. I had to mature, and I did. And through the lean times it was important to remind myself that it was my love of golf that secured my position as No. 1 in the world. That passion for the game is something I’m really enjoying again.
(中略)
PGATOUR.COM: There’s usually an adjustment period when a player switches equipment. What part of the bag was most difficult to get fine-tuned and comfortable with, and how long did it take?
McILROY: It would be fantastic to be 100 percent comfortable with all 14 clubs at the same time, but I know what you mean. Distance is such an important factor in my game, so my driver is something I really need to be comfortable with. My putter, too, of course -- feel is everything. It was worth taking the time to get it right, and working with a very talented Nike team really helped. I now have the best driver and ball combo I’ve ever used.
(中略)
PGATOUR.COM: No. 1 in the world, winning two majors, signing a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal -- were you fully prepared for the level of stardom that you reached so quickly? Was it in any way too much too soon?
McILROY: It did come up on me rather quickly. But too soon? It wasn’t as if I could put the brakes on playing well or hold back the No. 1 spot until I considered what it would mean. That said, being in the spotlight does take a bit of getting used to. I’m still learning to manage the level of attention, to be honest, in all its guises.
PGATOUR.COM: You’re often credited for being mature beyond your years, not unfairly either. Do we sometimes forget however that you’re still just 24 years old?
McILROY: Of course I’m still learning, as a golfer and in my life outside the game. But to come this far in my career was not something that happened overnight. I suppose there has been lot of learning and some degree of preparation for this during my amateur days and early professional career. But it’s ongoing, naturally.
