FITNESS EXPERT HAS RORY DRIVING BALL OBSCENE DISTANCES

 FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

By James Corrigan, Ponte Vedra, Florida

Rory McIlroy is an avowed Manchester United fan but he is desperate to take the Manchester City road to flory. He has persuaded City's fitness expert to continue driving him towards world domination in golf.

The Northern Irishman returned to the world No 1 berth on Sunday, courtesy of an outrageous driving display and will turn up at the Players Championship on Thursday confident of reducing the feared Sawgrass lay-out to pitch-and-putt status. Picture of Rory McIlroy by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

He credits his form off the tee to the strength work he has undertaken with Steve McGregor, the fitness guru who he so almost lost at Christmas.

McGregor, who transformed McIlroy’s bodyshape since linking up with him 18 months ago, felt he was too busy overseeing Manchester City's fitness regime as well as that of Lee Westwood and the New York Knicks. He informed McIlroy in December they would have to finish, but promised to find him another fitness coach. McIlroy, however, was desperate not to lose the Englishman.

“We didn’t quite beg, but Rory did feel Steve was a vital part of the team,” said his manager, Conor Ridge. “He’s really happy Steve could keep working with him.”

McGregor’s effect was seen to full and belittling effect at the Wells Fargo Championship, where McIlroy came so close to lifting his second Quail Hollow title in three years. Rickie Fowler, the game’s lesser superstar 23 year-old, eventually prevailed in a play-off but only after watching McIlroy boom a three-wood 20 yards past his driver. The 335-yard monster was just one of many.

McIlroy’s longest was the tournament’s longest of the week; an obscene 380-yarder on the 16th, which featured him take on a 330-yard carry over a bunker.