• European captain has no doubts about former world No1
• 'It will come back … things in his head will click into place'
Given the role played by Rory McIlroy in Paul McGinley's appointment as the European Ryder Cup captain, mutual appreciation is inevitable. When McGinley spoke about the "flatlining" form of Europe's most high-profile players, that was kind in the specific case of McIlroy. The former world No1 has endured a turbulent year both on the course and off it, where McIlroy's termination of a contract with his former management company was confirmed on Friday.
It remains inconceivable that McIlroy will not form part of McGinley's 12-man team at Gleneagles in a year's time, despite the captain's assertions that no player is guaranteed selection. For now, McGinley continues to assert his belief that McIlroy will return to his best before too long.
"There hasn't been a player in the history of the game who has not gone through peaks and troughs," McGinley said. "Rory has pretty much had a vertical upwards trajectory, so it was only a matter of time before he had a bit of a downward spiral. But there is no doubt he will come back up again.
"All players go this way. Whether it be Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Tom Watson or Paul McGinley. We have all had peaks and troughs. The game is not a constant vertical climb. Rory has had a bit of a dip but he will come back."
When it was put to McGinley that this McIlroy trough has proved rather a deep one, the Dubliner was unmoved.
"Tom Watson went through one," added McGinley. "Jack Nicklaus had a long period of time between winning one major and the next. It comes and goes, as some people come out of it very quickly. Just look at Henrik Stenson.
"Rory is such a good player and he has so much drive. He will not be sitting back on his laurels; he will be practising hard. It will come back and things in his head will just click into place.
"I am nonchalant about the whole thing because I have seen it in so many careers."
McGinley's opposite number with the United States, Watson, has admitted his competitive playing days are nearing an end. The 64-year-old came within touching distance of one of the greatest sporting triumphs of all time at the 2009 Open Championship but, since then, has found tournament golf a tougher proposition.
"The older you get the wiser you should become," Watson explained. "There's an element of that in my case. I haven't played particularly well lately, which is a disappointment and continues to be a disappointment.
"I see the horizon getting closer to the time when I'm going to have to hang it up. And I don't relish that fact. I don't like it, because this is what I do. I'm a professional golfer. But besides being a professional golfer, I'm other things and those things have probably become more important in my life.
"As you well know, professional golfers can be pretty selfish and that attribute is pretty apparent in all the great players. The older you get the more you understand that there are things that are more important than just winning a golf tournament.
"I don't know how I'm going to end my career. But I have to be honest with you, I've been thinking about it. It's getting closer and you have to prepare for the future."
