Meet the French Rory McIlroy who insists he's not out to imitate the golf superstar
Cannes kid Martin Couvra insists he's not trying to imitate Rory McIlroy.
The French young gun is at Royal Portrush for his Open debut and the 22-year-old hopes to make an impact.
Couvra has made a blistering start to his career on the DP World Tour and arrives into the big one in outstanding form.
The kid became just the seventh player in history to win as an amateur on the HotelPlanner Tour two years ago and scored at the top level this term on just his 15h DP World Tour start when successful at the Turkish Airlines Open.
Couvra also came second in Italy last month to secure his place at The Open and it was during that event where the comparisons with McIlroy ramped up.
TV commentators such as ex- Ryder Cup star David Howell waxed lyrical about the swing and the mannerisms which were pointed as strikingly similar to the Grand Slam superstar.
Courva is flattered by such comparisons, but it's not an intention to replicate as he told Record Sport: 'I mean it's great to hear this, but I don't try to imitate Rory, He has his career, I would like to have mine and I'm just so grateful to to try to have the same kind of swing a little bit same as his, but no, I just try my best and that's it.'
Couvra's explosion onto the scene has been highly impressive and has resulted in this Major debut. He said: 'I feel very nice, I mean I'm pretty proud about my game, about the work with my team and yeah it's just good to play some tournament like this and continue like that. We want to have this every year, we work for this, but I don't expect anything, I just try to do my best every time and we'll see.'
Couvra admits he's inquisitive and not shy to ask questions of the biggest guns in the game as he shapes his own career.
Last week at the Scottish Open, he bent the ear of Justin Thomas during practice and was spotted taking time on the range watching some of the current elite go through their paces. Couvra explained: 'I try to be concentrated on me and with my coach, with my caddy to work to be concentrated on what I need to do. But when I've little bit [time] off, just to look at what the guys work on the practise, some guys on the PGA Tour and my Top 10 on the world so just try to look at everything.
'It's important to have some questions. I played with Justin Thomas and I had some questions about the practice round, about the wedging, chipping, so yeah, I love to ask something and that's very nice.'
Courva had never been at Portrush before this week and smiled when it was put to him that YouTube was his friend as he watched footage of the 2019 Open to get a picture in his head, but he said: 'To play in this is just a dream. Hopefully it's going to be great.'
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