Rory McIlroy arrived into Philadelphia early Monday evening local time for this week’s BMW Championship having being bumped from No. 7 in the world by the rampaging Bryson DeChambeau.
The back-to-back Northern Trust and Dell Technologies winner jumped five places on the Rankings following his comfortable two-shot success at TPC Boston.
McIlroy is now the new World No. 8 with the next four players – Rickie Fowler (new No.9), Jordan Spieth (10), Jason Day (11) and Tommy Fleetwood (12) – all bumped down a place following DeChambeau moving into the top-10 for the first time in his career.
McIlroy will tee-up Thursday on the stunning Aroninmink GC course, to the west of the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ desperately needing to find top gear after a bitterly disappointing display in Boston.
McIlroy failed to ignite the form that earned him two prior Dell Technologies victory titles to finish well off the pace in heatwave conditions on the TPC Boston course. The Ulsterman had moved to 13-under par through three outward nine birdies but any thought of a third Boston victory party ended with back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15 in a round of 70 for an eventual 10-under total and a share of 12th place, six shots adrift of DeChambeau.
McIlroy had arrived in sports-mad Boston in 28th place on the FedEx Cup ‘Play-Off’ points table and moved up to 24th.
And Phil Mickelson gift-wrapped tonight’s (Tuesday 10pm – Irish time) official confirmation of a remarkable 13th Ryder Cup cap after closing rounds of 67 and sizzling final round 63 for an eventual 10-under par total to be tied with McIlroy.
Now Mickelson is a certainty to be heading to France as a member of the USA Team looking to win on European soil for the first time in 25-years.
“Well, this one has an opportunity to be my favourite and most special,” said Mickelson. “We’ve never won over there. I feel like we have the team. I feel like we have the leadership and we have the direction. We have the game plan that will allow us to play our best.”
“If I’m lucky enough to get on the team and go over there and be part of a winning team it would probably be my most memorable one.”
Mickelson made his Ryder Cup debut in 1995 and has competed in the event ever since, teeing-up in 45 matches. He enjoys a record of 18 wins, 20 losses and seven half-points.
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