SAN FRANCISCO – Rory McIlroy is flattered. One of the leading contenders at the 76th U.S. Women’s Open, 19-year-old Filipino Yuka Saso, modeled her swing after McIlroy, watching YouTube videos for an hour at a time before going to sleep.
McIlroy, who is competing in the Memorial Tournament this week, said he’s been watching the action from The Olympic Club.
“I’m really, like I’m really into it,” said McIlory from Muirfield Village. “I watched some of it last night, brought back really bad memories from 2012, but I’m really, I’m excited to watch over the weekend and see how she does.”
Saso, a two-time winner on the Japan LPGA, carried a one-stroke lead into Round 3 after rounds of 69-67 over the demanding Lake Course.
McIlroy, like most pros, can’t look at it his own swing without picking it apart. Saso, of course, likes it all. She first starting obsessing over the Northern Irishman’s swing around age 12.
“I think Tiger had the best swing in history that sort of early 2000 stage and I talked to him about it and he still picks it apart,” said McIlroy. “No, I did this and that and I wrecked my knee doing it and all that. So, like everyone, like even Tiger, when he went on that run, he was still picking apart his swing.”
The Golf Channel did a side-by-side comparison of Saso and McIlroy at last year’s USWO in Houston. McIlroy said he could see some similarities.
Yuka Saso modeled her swing after @McIlroyRory's.
How'd she do? #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/TkygdBCjIa
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 5, 2021
“The way she sort of turns off the ball,” he said, “that’s sort of – like the way our heads both go at impact. There is some stuff there.”
Saso has yet to meet McIlroy but hopes that might change at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
“That would be cool,” said McIlroy. “I would like to. … the Olympics, like who knows how it’s going to be or what’s going to happen, but I think with Hideki doing what he did at Augusta, it’s really strong golfing nation, Japan, obviously having, maybe having her as a major champion going in there, who knows. It would be really – it would be really cool.”
from Golfweek https://ift.tt/34P45if