Alright, let’s talk about watching McIlroy take on Pebble Beach. I’ve spent a fair bit of time watching golf over the years, and seeing the big names tackle those iconic courses, well, it sticks with you. Pebble is just different, isn’t it? Especially during that Pro-Am event they have.
I remember settling in to watch one year, specifically keeping an eye on Rory. You always kind of expect him to tear any course apart, but Pebble, with its tiny greens and that ocean wind, it doesn’t care who you are. It felt like classic Pebble weather too – bit of sun, bit of wind, you never know what’s coming next. The whole Pro-Am thing adds a weird vibe too, loads of famous folks hacking it around alongside the actual pros. Kind of distracting, honestly.
Watching Rory Handle It
So, I watched Rory navigate the course. He hit some absolute peaches, like you’d expect. Drives that just go forever, irons that looked like they were lasered in. But then, Pebble would bite back. Maybe a weird bounce near a cliff, or a putt that lipped out on those bumpy poa annua greens. You could see the frustration sometimes. It’s that constant battle out there.
What really stood out was just how much mental energy that place demands. It’s not just about hitting the ball well. You have to:
- Manage the wind constantly.
- Accept bad bounces on quirky lies.
- Stay patient when putts aren’t dropping.
- Ignore the celebrity circus sometimes happening in the group ahead.
Seeing a guy with McIlroy’s talent grind it out, sometimes struggling, sometimes soaring, it really puts the challenge in perspective. You see him hit a shot that you or I couldn’t even dream of, and then maybe three-putt the next green. It’s relatable in a weird way, even though his misses are still better than my best hits.
It’s just fascinating, really. Pebble demands strategy and patience as much as skill. Rory has all the skill in the world, but like anyone, matching it perfectly to Pebble for four straight days is a massive ask. Still always tune in when he plays there, though. You never quite know if you’ll see magic or a meltdown, and that’s golf, I guess.
