KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Hall of Famer Dave Stockton is becoming a bit of a muse for Rory McIlroy.
Stockton, who has been helping McIlroy with his putting, was honored at Kiawah Island this week with the PGA of America’s Distinguished Service Award. Stockton guided the American Ryder Cup team to victory at Kiawah Island in ’91. He also won the 1976 PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in ’76.
“Anywhere Dave’s done well, I seem to do well,” McIlroy said. “Anywhere he’s had success, I’ve had success, too, which is pretty cool.”
McIlroy claimed Sunday’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island and won the U.S. Open last year at Congressional.
“You know, we had a chat last week in Akron,” McIlroy said. “He just said to me, `Just go out and play with a smile on your face. Enjoy it. This is what you’ve always wanted to do since you were a little boy. There’s no point in getting frustrated out there or getting upset. Just go out and enjoy it.’That’s the attitude that I had for the last couple weeks, and it definitely helped.”
