13 March 2024 , 15:07
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Rory McIlroy's former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has warned the Northern Irishman that he must think twice before being so 'nice' to his competitors on the PGA Tour.
The four-time major champion's gamesmanship towards Scottie Scheffler made headlines following the latter's win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It emerged that McIlroy had advised his peer to make a change to his bag by returning to the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter.
Those words of wisdom came during an appearance on CBS during the Genesis Invitational, with Schleffler duly following his competitor's advice at Bay Hill Golf Course. This move paid dividends for him as he secured his first PGA Tour win in over a year since his last at TPC Sawgrass.
However, veteran McGinley - who led McIlroy as Team Europe's skipper in 2014 - has now warned his old teammate that being such an open book could come back to haunt him. In fact, his old contemporary Golf Channel has challenged the 34-year-old to maintain his competitive edge in future.
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Speaking on the Golf Channel, McGinley explained: "The competitors and the tough guys – the Raymond Floyds – you don’t see that in the modern game. Everybody seems to be friends. And I think Rory is at his best when he’s got an edge, and he’s got those pointy elbows.
"We saw that at the Ryder Cup [in Rome]. It was no coincidence he had his best ever Ryder Cup there," he continued, imparting some wisdom of his own, saying: "The thing about Rory is he’s such a nice guy, and when he’s asked a question, he gives such an honest answer, but sometimes that gives an edge to your competitor."
Comparing McIlroy's approach with other superstars, he continued: "Tiger Woods was so guarded in that instance. He would never give David Duval a boost up and say how great a player he was, or Ernie Els, or Vijay Singh, his real contemporaries at that stage. You’ve got to keep the foot down!"
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Rory McIlroy has been issued with some advice from former Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinleyAs for the Ryder Cup, McGinley also spoke of his experiences representing Team Europe in the past as he revealed his competitive spirit once more as he described his mentality. Alongside leading the continent to victory in 2014 as captain, he also formed part of successful teams in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
"Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of stuff that goes on, and we always feel that we have an edge but you never want to let the American team know what we’re doing, the Irishman contended. "And I don’t think you should be any different when you come out here on tour.
"Yes, you can be friends with them, but don’t give them an edge. Napoleon had a great line about that – [‘Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake’] – and maybe I’ve got a hard-nosed feeling about it, but golf is a very, very tough game. It’s a selfish game. I would like you to keep those little nuggets to yourself."