They say you can't win a golf tournament on Thursday or Friday, but you can lose it.
That conventional wisdom went out the window at the U.S. Open. Although it officially concluded on Sunday, this tournament was over come Friday night.
Rory McIlroy, the 22-year-old lad from Northern Ireland, had put on a clinic during the first 36 holes.
By starting out with rounds of 65 and 66 and leading by six strokes at the halfway point, he had lapped the field.
Yes, he had done virtually the same thing at the Masters only to lose the lead over the weekend.
But there was something different about the Open. McIlroy was playing with extreme confidence. He had a swagger about him.
Yet, he also showed a great deal of maturity. His interviews were thoughtful, humorous and genuine.
As one veteran TV commentator editorialized Saturday morning, "There's not a reporter in that pressroom that isn't rooting for the kid."
I know I was.
This was one of those performances that was so incredible you wanted to witness history being made.
History in that it marked the second year in a row that a golfer from Northern Ireland won the American national championship.
History in that McIlroy's 16-under-par 268 blistered the previous four round U.S. Open record of 272 by four strokes.
This was a performance that reminded us of Tiger Woods.
Yet, we forgot about Tiger this weekend. All of a sudden, he is old news. There's a new kid on the block and he's now the rage.
Just ask Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time. Nicklaus said he was impressed not just with McIlroy's immense talent, but with his maturity.
"He's a good kid,'' said Nicklaus of the youngster who just won his first major at an age younger than Nicklaus when he first captured the U.S. Open title.
Naturally, some are going overboard and comparing McIlroy to Nicklaus. You can't go there. Not yet, anyway.
Nicklaus was the best golfer in the world over a long period of time. Even with his win this weekend, McIlroy still won't be No. 1 in the rankings.
But he was No. 1 in our hearts. As much as we were disappointed by the performance of the American contingent, we managed to set aside our national pride and celebrate a magical four days.
McIlroy never wavered. If it had been a fight, we would have said no one laid a glove on him. It was like he was playing a different golf course than his competitors. And let's not forget his opponents represented the best golfers in the world.
Today, sports fans will go back to following the pennant races and wondering if the NFL and NBA will settle their labor disputes.
But we'll never forget the four magical days we spent watching Rory McIlroy.
If you hadn't heard of him before Thursday, you have now. I have a feeling you will be hearing his name many more times.
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
