Fun again: Rory remnant of golf's good old days

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Rory is enjoyable to watch, not just because of his golfing abilities, but his likeability.

He's a throwback.

A major talent who plays the game with the joy and exuberance of a wide-eyed eight-year-old. A fresh face in a sport that's often been financially and rankings-driven, a sport that has spent more than a decade chasing one tightly-wound perfectionist.

It's time to ratchet it back a bit. Chill. Realize that if you're playing on any of the world's tours, you are one of the best in the world. Embrace it. Enjoy it.

Rory McIlroy ushered in a new era last week. A new normal, if you will.

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Forget about trying to be like Tiger Woods. Today, it's all about wanting to be like Rory.

"He has more talent,'' said Rory's uber-agent Chubby Chandler, "than anyone playing now."

He's also got a Q-rating off the charts. Who doesn't love a guy who remembers to thank his mom? Who shows up to watch his old school -- Sullivan Upper -- win the Northern Ireland rugby title? Who takes time off from U.S. Open preparation to comfort Haitian disaster victims? Who low-fives kids like its pro-am day on the way to his first major title?

That doesn't mean he wasn't focused. Or serious. Not in the least. What he was doing was letting his talent take center stage and allowing himself to enjoy a moment that's all too often described as a grind.

At 22, Rory wrapped the world around his little finger. He grinned and twirled his clubs and loped along the fairways as if it was just another day. A chance to pull off shots, make putts, take on the course and walk away from the field.

As a player, they applauded him. There was no fear, no pedestal. Just congratulations on a job well done. Backslaps all around. And, oh, when are we celebrating?

The feel had to be more like those days when Jimmy Demaret and the boys would polish off a major and move on. They enjoyed life. They knew who the best players were and where their games stood. The awe came in moments when Ben Hogan came back from that horrific car accident or Byron Nelson ran off 13 straight.

The rest of the time? They were just the best in the world, plying their craft, living their lives.

The transition Sunday was easy. Maybe it was because Rory's stablemate Lee Westwood had opened the door last fall when he bumped a free-falling Tiger from the top. Yet here was a player who had come back from a free-fall of his own. Who had worked his way back to the top. Another normal guy who stands out on the course and a list, but was just another one of the guys everywhere else.

It's all about setting a tone and, well, Rory has done just that. What used to seem like a kerfuffle of names that didn't include Tiger now starts looking more like a group of the world's best players who just also happen to be seriously normal guys.

Whether you want to point to Steve Stricker who is as talented as they come, loves bow-hunting and cries every time he wins, or to Jason Day who might be taking the golf world by storm if not for Rory, or the affable, easy-going Graeme McDowell or FedExCup leader Luke Donald, it starts to make sense doesn't it?

The last four major winners are all twentysomethings who are similar to Rory. The Golf Boys -- Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Ben Crane -- may not have a major, but they're seriously comfortable in their own skin and with their games. Fowler, like Rory, loves low-fiving kids and when you get him and Bubba together, well, they are kids. It's not a bad thing.

Phil Mickelson is the old soul in the world's current best players. At 41, he's been the people's choice, a guy who connects with the fans and . . . well, think no further back than the 2010 Masters that had the whole world talking.

But this time, Rory might be the guy who unites all of this. Who reminds us that what Fred Couples, Curtis Strange, Greg Norman and the gang had back in the 1980s and 1990s wasn't all bad. That what Demaret and Jackie Burke and the boys had was seriously special.

We still tell the tales of the long nights in hotel lobbies with Demaret warbling. Of the road trips. Of the characters.

We remember Arnold Palmer taking the game from black-and-white to Technicolor. Jack Nicklaus teaching us about dominating. Lee Trevino and Fuzzy Zoeller making sure the game's highest level was never without serious humor.

Before we entered the last era, how much fun was it talking about Strange and Norman racing their boats on Calibogue Sound? They spent the day trying to beat each other off the course; the nights enjoying each other's company.

You think that doesn't resonate with fans? Then why is Couples still one of the biggest draws in the game? And Rory just upped that ante.

Watching him Sunday, we flashed back to the 19-year-old kid who was all grins talking about a recon trip to Augusta. He'd stayed in the Eisenhower Cabin and woken up to Augusta National's sprinklers and birds chirping in the trees. He talked about how peaceful the sunrise was; how you see the chairman's reflection everywhere.

Oh, he talked about the course a bit, about a few shots he hit. But it was more about what he observed outside the ropes and what he and his buddies did. About what he learned about President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who he had known very little about.

Combine that with a guy who embraces his unruly curls and his youth the same way he embraces his talent and his friends. And the way draws everyone -- worldwide -- in.

Like we said, golf just ushered in a new era. A new normal.

We're looking forward to it.

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM and can be reached at melaniehauser@gmail.com. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR. Follow her on Twitter @melaniehauser.