BROOKLINE, Mass. — With men’s golf in the midst of an ugly civil war, a battle for the heart, soul and pocketbook of the game playing out on one of its grandest stages, leave it to Rory McIlroy to swoop in to try to save the day.
McIlroy on Tuesday was everything the sullen and snippy Phil Mickelson was not on Monday at the U.S. Open. With clarity, humor and optimism, the 33-year-old four-time major champion mustered a gallant and full-throated defense of the PGA Tour and the meaning and value of competition.