Matt McCarty shares what Jake Knapp said about Rory McIlroy which seemed ‘crazy’ to him

Add as preferred source on Google

While Rory McIlroy’s 2024 season may attract mixed reviews from some, there is no doubt at all that almost any other player on the planet would have been delighted with the year that the Northern Irishman enjoyed.

Rory McIlroy won four times worldwide in 2024, including at the Wells Fargo Championship and the DP World Tour Championship. The 35-year-old secured the Order of Merit on the DP World Tour for the sixth time in his career – bringing him alongside Seve Ballesteros.

Unfortunately however, perhaps the one moment which many will remember most vividly from McIlroy’s season came at the US Open, when he made three bogeys on the final four holes to lose to Bryson DeChambeau. McIlroy left the course almost as soon as DeChambeau made the winning putt.

Nevertheless, McIlroy remains one of the players who sets the standard in the world of golf – particularly when it comes to driving the ball.

The ‘crazy’ claim Jake Knapp made about Rory McIlroy

And speaking on Fried Egg Golf, Matt McCarty – who secured his PGA Tour card by winning three times on the Korn Ferry Tour this year – shared what Jake Knapp told him about McIlroy’s ability with the longest club in the bag.

“I was talking to Knapp about it last week during some practice rounds and asked him. He said it’s just insane. Jake hits it a mile and he was talking about how good Rory’s driving was. That’s just crazy to me,” he said.

The consistency of McIlroy’s driving down the years on the PGA Tour

As McCarty says, Knapp is not a short hitter by any means. The winner of the Mexico Open is 24th on the PGA Tour for driving distance at nearly 310 yards. McIlroy meanwhile, is second at over 320 yards this year.

McIlroy’s consistency has been particularly frightening. He has been a stalwart of the top 10 in the world rankings since November 2009. And distance has been a key component of his game throughout that time.

Collin Morikawa suggested earlier this year that he would not able to replicate the positions McIlroy gets into in the golf swing. Clearly, not many would be capable of doing so.

A 10 yard difference on average may not seem like an awful lot. But McIlroy is someone who knows how to go through the gears with the driver in his hands. So Knapp is probably aware that McIlroy’s power gives him the opportunity to potentially leave everyone else behind.