SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For 18 holes Thursday afternoon, winding from the desert surroundings of the front nine to the trademark stadium set-ups on the back, there was one constant.
When Rory McIlroy stood to address his ball, the iPhone cameras shot up, each claiming a few inches of hard-fought real estate. When McIlroy finished, the iPhone cameras went back in pockets. If fans lingered long enough to watch his playing partners — Collin Morikawa and Hideki Matsuyama — they only did so for a brief moment before repositioning themselves for McIlroy’s next shot.
It didn’t matter that McIlroy finished his day 2 over, nor that he was paired with Morikawa, a two-time major champion and one of the best young players in the world. The presence of Matsuyama, the 2016 and 2017 Phoenix Open winner, drew only passing interest, too.
No, on Thursday, the fans were here for McIlroy.
In golf’s post-Tiger era, stardom has been ephemeral. Jordan Spieth’s career has charted a wayward course. Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau emerged, retreated and now ply their trade on the LIV Tour. Jon Rahm hasn’t, for whatever reason, captured the zeitgeist in the same way. McIlroy, and only McIlroy, has been the constant. No matter that he hasn’t won a major since 2014. The fans come for McIlroy and they’ll always come for McIlroy.
Off the stick 🫣@McIlroyRory wanted this one @WMPhoenixOpen. pic.twitter.com/bM2kgqTK2J
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 9, 2023
Just take the couple that stood beside the fifth green Thursday, waiting for McIlroy’s arrival. When a standard bearer’s sign revealed that all three players’ scores, the wife remarked, “Oh wow, they’re all over par.” To which her husband responded, “It’s still Rory.”
Three holes later, a pair of fans dressed in traditional Scottish golf knickers stood beside the eighth tee. The two friends had flown in from Nebraska and Texas in search of warm weather and a good time. They began their day at the 16th hole, but one of them counts McIlroy among his favorite players. So with his day coming to a close, they positioned themselves by the tee box, regaling him with chants of “Let’s go Rory!”
“Why wouldn’t you be out here and come see some amazing players,” said Brian Schwabauer, the McIlroy fan.
For all the off-course appeal of the Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale has only hosted this spectacle once before.
In 2021, with crowds restricted by COVID, McIlroy played here finishing 13th at…
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