Rory McIlroy has been in flying form in recent months, and has just one more tournament lined up before the mouthwatering Ryder Cup in Rome at the end of September.
This weekend's BMW PGA Championship is a tournament which McIlroy finished T2 in last year, and he will be eager to go one step further on Sunday at Wentworth.
He has already enjoyed two wins in 2023, at January's Dubai Desert Classic and at the recent Scottish Open, and will hope to make it an even more memorable year with Ryder Cup success in Italy in a few weeks' time.
McIlroy is a diehard Manchester United fan off the course, and his favourite team have also enjoyed some success in 2023, though there have been plenty of bumps in the road for Erik Ten Hag's side as well.
Ex-captain Harry Maguire is one of those in the United squad who has struggled for form in recent months, and his struggles have continued over the past few weeks, as he has seen the armband stripped from him and his chances of a starting XI place at Old Trafford fall further and further away.
Having seen a move to West Ham fall through over the summer, Maguire now seems set to slug it out in his attempt to work himself back into contention at Manchester United, but the constant scrutiny of his performances from media and fans alike has arguably done him no favours in doing so.
Speaking ahead of the BMW PGA, Rory McIlroy commented on the troubled centre back at United, and said that he felt sympathy for the manner in which Maguire has been treated by the footballing community.
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Rory McIlroy shares sympathy for Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire was introduced as a substitute for England in Tuesday night's friendly against Scotland with England holding on to a clean sheet, though Maguire would go on to score an unfortunate own-goal and continue his rotten run of form - and luck.
It was the latest in a long line of unfortunate incidents for the Manchester United defender which have earned him stick from opposition and supporting fans alike.
He has earned support from one big name, however, with Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy springing to Maguire's defence when asked about the centre-back's recent form in an interview at Wentworth.
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"Unfortunately, it's part of our job of being in the public spotlight" 🗣
Rory McIlroy on the criticism towards Harry Maguire 👇 pic.twitter.com/HPpE8yxPbR— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 13, 2023
McIlroy shared his sympathy for Maguire, who he said continued to put in valiant effort in the United defence, before suggesting the Englishman put mechanisms in place to block out outside noise from media and toxic fanbases:
I'm sure Harry wakes up every morning, goes to work, and tries his best, just like we all do.
When your life and career are laid bare like that and everyone sees everything...you could make 20 great passes in a game and the one pass that didn't go quite right is the one that everyone's going to concentrate on.
It's a tough world that we live in, but unfortunately it's part of our job and being in that public spotlight. We get well rewarded for being in that public spotlight. That's the way it is.
I do things that shield me from that, and it certainly protects my mental health. I think more and more sportspeople are getting to the point where they're doing the same thing.
McIlroy's comments come after Harry Maguire's international manager Gareth Southgate jumped to the centre-back's defence in light of his unfortunate mishap against Scotland.
Southgate said that an apparent vendetta against Maguire was unacceptable, and called the frenzy around Maguire's performances a "joke".
"It's a consequence of ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time."
Gareth Southgate says the criticism Harry Maguire has faced is “a joke” 🗣#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/gVAVAjTQf2— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 13, 2023
With Raphael Varane sidelined and both Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez taking knocks in Manchester United's recent defeat to Arsenal, there is a chance Maguire may yet be able to get some game time for the side in the coming weeks.
It will take an almighty turnaround, however, for the former Leicester man to regain his confidence.
Manchester United return to Premier League action on Saturday at 3pm against Brighton, while Rory McIlroy will tee off on Thursday at 8:40am Irish time alongside Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg at the BMW PGA Championship.
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