One-Hit Wonder or Future Star?

[Garland Bayley]

Matt,

I'll agree with you that the PGA has a much better field, but on an overall basis, I think the list of winners at the other three majors shows a far superior group of winners as compared to the PGA.

Balderdash!

[Stewart Naugler]

I don't think Davis wants it bad enough. He seems to be content snow boarding out west and spending time with his family on sea island.

Freddie has major mental issues... He's my all time favorite but he has some serious demons.

Clutch putting wins majors! Ask Tiger.

[Jerry Kluger]

There is no question in my mind why Tiger did not win yesterday as opposed to a few years ago - chipping and putting.  When he was  on top of his game he was the best - short game was great and he made every putt he had to.  The fact is that Sunday showed how many really great players there are out there and anyone of them could have done it - this time it was Schwartzel's turn but there's no guarantee that he can perform as well the next time he is in position to win a Major - we will see.

[Tony_Chapman]

Nine different players have won the last nine majors. Harrington won the two before that without Tiger in the field. The game is turning into a yawn fest in my opinion.

[Brent Hutto]

Nine different players have won the last nine majors. Harrington won the two before that without Tiger in the field. The game is turning into a yawn fest in my opinion.

The last three hours of yesterday's final round was boring in your estimation?

So your definition of "not a yawn fest" must be pretty much along the lines that Tiger is winning every second or third major?

If I'm going to bother to turn on the television for an entire afternoon, I want to see exciting golf shots and a close finish with someone coming through in the clutch to win. An unexpected outcome is a bonus. Yesterday was that, certainly. Maybe by "the game" you mean "following a great player who dominates" in which case you're right the last few years are not so good. I like Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods exactly to the extent that they provide exciting play at the big events. If someone else provides exciting play at big events (Schwartzel, Mickelson, Harrington, whoever) then I like them for doing so.

[Tony_Chapman]

Brent -- I just want somebody to step and win more than one of these things, that's all. I don't really care who it is. I hate that we have an Open Champion who can win by seven at St. Andrews and not make the cut at Augusta. That's all. Yesterday was wonderful golf; exhilerating golf, actually. I'm just ready for somebody, anybody, to take this thing over again. Truthfully, I think it can be Ogilvy, but we'll see.

[Bill Shamleffer]

Nine different players have won the last nine majors. Harrington won the two before that without Tiger in the field. The game is turning into a yawn fest in my opinion.

I do not think having a span of majors all with different winners translates automatically into boring golf.  From 1967 through 1970 15 different winners of the 16 majors.  From 1976 through 1979, again 15 different winners for 16 majors.  There were a lot of exciting majors played during those spans.

Currently 12 winners of the last 13 majors, and with some exciting tournaments during that stretch.

Three of the PGAs Tiger won lacked much excitement.  Some of his other wins in majors were only exciting to see a top golfer in top form.  But the excitement of multiple contenders, switched leads throughout the weekend, and suspense down to the last hour was often missing.

[Terry Lavin]

Brent -- I just want somebody to step and win more than one of these things, that's all. I don't really care who it is. I hate that we have an Open Champion who can win by seven at St. Andrews and not make the cut at Augusta. That's all. Yesterday was wonderful golf; exhilerating golf, actually. I'm just ready for somebody, anybody, to take this thing over again. Truthfully, I think it can be Ogilvy, but we'll see.

Tony,

I'm with you.  Although I like the new wave of young talent, I think the game is better with a dominant #1 player and a dominant #2 player and a bunch of other guys who are competitive.  I think Nicklaus always had a better cast of competitors than Tiger has had.  And now Tiger's not on top and nobody has yet taken his place.  I don't care if it's Rory or Kaymer or GMac or Fowler or Dustin Johnson, I'd just like to see one of these guys win a few more tournaments and some majors and become predominant.  I, too, think the game would be more interesting. 

Having said that, this Masters, and particularly this Masters Sunday, is going to be pretty hard to top.

[Richard Hetzel]

2 years ago I was able to watch Charl Schwartzel up close and personal (no ropes) at Brookside CC (Columbus, Ohio) USGA US Open qualifier. Honestly I wanted to walk 18 holes with David Duval to see if he still had game (and he does) but CS really stood out, and I was amazed at how good he was. There were maybe 12 people following this group, I am not surprised as he has some serious game.

[Don_Mahaffey]

Last week at the Houston Open my son and I decided to follow JB Holmes around early Sunday morning. Schwartzel was paired with Holmes. We first noticed Charl when he was warming up on the range. He has a very mechanical preshot routine where he seems to slowly rehearse his backswing then his pivot move and downswing. He did it on the course as well. He was hitting it out there with Holmes, but much more under control, nice high bombs...like a dot in the sky, no climbing or sidespin. He was also very accurate wit his irons, and if he'd had a hot putter he'd have gone low. As it was, I think he shot 3 under, but may be wrong about that. His game looked very, very solid and he picked the right week to get a hot putter.
There are a ton of good young players, but this guy looked very good and had his golf ball under control at all times. I see him in the Bubba Watson, Anthony Kim, DJ, Fowler class of good young players with the exception that his swing looks to be more consistent and he has proven to be a better putter when it’s all on the line. I think one of those other guys wins a major before Schwartzel gets another. I do hope young Rory recovers quickly as he belongs in that group as well.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom:

Have to correct you -- Vijay is no better a putter than either Love or Couples yet won more and was better consistently.

In terms of pure overall talent I would place Love right up there with just about anyone who had 20 wins or less and at least
one major.

One other thing -- any person who can break 270 at Winged Foot / West when only a handful previously had broken 280 there showed plenty of talent. The sad part is how little else was achieved for him -- and for Freddie.

Matt:

I don't see where you are correcting me above; I didn't say anything about Vijay.

The fact that he won three (?) majors without being a great putter does not contradict what I said.  He was a better ballstriker than Freddie or Davis, and a more consistent contender as well.  Plus, as per the first paragraph of my first post, he was a bit lucky that Tiger and others didn't play well those weeks.

I think your love for Davis [no pun intended] has a lot to do with your love for Winged Foot West over, say, Sahalee.  Maybe you should take up Geoff Ogilvy's cause.  He won at Winged Foot, too, and he's going to win more majors than Davis did.

[Tom_Doak]

Bill Shamleffler:

Did you notice that most of your "one hit wonders," though an impressive list, were guys who won the PGA or the U.S. Open?  And that hardly any of them won The Masters?  [Not that there aren't some one-hit wonders who won The Masters, but they are a different group, and not the guys you would first cite as impressive players who fell short in their careers.]

[Matthew Rose]

I think Schwartzel has a better chance than many, although that doesn't necessarily mean he will. He's young, he has game, and he seems very much in control of his temperament. Schwartzel says he likes the course and it fits his eye. That always helps.

I think winning a second major may be harder than a first in a lot of ways.... some people luck into one, or just happen to be journeymen players who have one great year.

I think he wins another major, perhaps an Open championship.

McIlroy's day will come too.

[Adrian_Stiff]

I dont think you can tell. There are so many great players today almost anyone in a 156 field can win, that never happened in yesteryear. Dominance is harder now and with Tiger off form the door is open for all. South Africa have Immleman, Charl & Louis, all are good enough to multi win but its down to on the day, a bit of luck and the right shot at the right time.

[Andy Shulman]

With the possible exception of Rich Beem - who was unceremoniously left off of Kalen's list - and his post-victory dance, major winners usually look good in the immediate afterglow of their victories.  However, let's not forget that Schwartzel holed out twice from well off the green yesterday at both #1 and #3, which accounted for three of his five strokes under par.  So, as impressive as it is to close out the final round of a major with four straight birdies, there was at least a dash of luck involved.  While he definitely got the ball in the hole when it counted, it seemed to me that his ball striking was more up and down over the course of the day than several others - Tiger, Scott and Day, in particular - so I'd lean toward him being a one-hit wonder.

[Kalen Braley]

Here is a list of all of the one time major winners, where the win came at ANGC:

Charl Schwartzel
Trevor Immelman
Zach Johnson
Mike Weir
Fred Couples
Ian Woosnam
Larry Mize
Craig Stadler
Tommy Aaron
Charles Coody
George Archer
Bob Goalby
Gay Brewer
Art Wall Jr.
Claude Hermon
Herman Keiser

I'm not sure what its to be deduced from that, but there it is!

[Matt_Ward]

Tom D:

Vijay is no better putter than Davis and Freddie - that was my point.

Not a better ball striker either - when you consider that Davis and Freddie each had their moments.

With Vijay it's the better conditioning that was a big time plus for him. Davis and Freddie each had numerous opportunities
for wins in majors -- came up short for any number of reasons -- hence the underachiever moniker.

My "love" for Love has to deal with shooting the 269 total at the '97 PGA -- so much ink went to Tiger for breaking the four-round record at The Masters but breaking 270 at WF/W is infinitely harder to do.

Like I said before the PGA Championship is far from the bottom major that so many think. Frankly, I see it with The Masters because it is an invitational and it is a rather limited field.

[JLahrman]

Like I said before the PGA Championship is far from the bottom major that so many think. Frankly, I see it with The Masters because it is an invitational and it is a rather limited field.

The PGA has the best field, but suffers from an identity crisis.  One of the main problems is that they tend to select a lot of traditional US Open courses (Baltusrol, Oak Hill, Oakland Hills, etc.) and then lighten them up a little, essentially making the PGA look like a US Open lite.

They could have set themselves apart by staying in the vein of the newer courses - Whistling Straits, Valhalla, Kiawah, Crooked Stick, Chambers Bay, Erin Hills, etc.  Whatever you think of those courses architecturally, committing to them would have given the PGA Championship a more unique identity than it has today.  Too bad the USGA got Chambers Bay and Erin Hills.

I am very much looking forward to the PGA Championship at Kiawah next year.  I can't even tell you where the final three majors of the year are being held this year, but next year's PGA is circled for me.

[Tom_Doak]

 let's not forget that Schwartzel holed out twice from well off the green yesterday at both #1 and #3, which accounted for three of his five strokes under par.  So, as impressive as it is to close out the final round of a major with four straight birdies, there was at least a dash of luck involved.

Andy,

Tom Watson used to hole out from off the green ALL THE TIME to win majors.  He holed out from off the green three times on the back nine at Pebble Beach in '82.  That is WHY he won a bunch of majors, not the reason he would never win another.

[Jud_T]

Matt,

No question that Davis' accomplishment at WFW was all world and was overshadowed by Tiger's coming out party at Augusta.  But whether due to lack of motivation on his part or not, he was a bit of a one hit wonder and never realized his full potential.  The PGA does have great fields and improved venues, but they still suffer due to scheduling, lack of aura of amateur competitors, and no clear identity relative to the other 3 majors.  I'm still hoping for a return to match play.  

P.S.  Not clear that DL3 wasn't the better ball striker, but Vijay clearly outworked him and pretty much everybody else...

[Rick Shefchik]

I dont see Rory as the next Gasrcia, and one who fails to reach that dreaded Potential word.
As for Charl...been a good player for a few years now, everyone in Europe has been plugging him for a couple of years.
Another major...who knows..but other vitories over here most certainly.
Those majors are just togh..look at the list of single winners, who we would recognise as very good players, the likes of Weiskopf for instance.

They are just hard to win..Miller was restricted to two and he was almost the best of his generation.
I understand that we judge a body of work by the number of majors, but winning one is a big achievement by itself and we should not underestimate it.
Winning other big events can tend to validate a player,  as in the case of Weiskopf, so we will have to wait and see.
So much money involved now in winning a single major, how brightly does that fire burn in the belly ??

I have great respect for the way Rory handled his post-round disappointment - far better than Tiger, who seems to be becoming more boorish by the week - but I also think there's a decent chance this is going to be the enduring image of his career:



I know he's young, and I love his swing, but when they've got a picture of you standing in the middle of a ridiculous mess you made Sunday afternoon on the back nine of a tournament you should have won, history is not on your side. I will root for him.

By the way, MWP, I have to agree that the list of major winners seems like thinner soup because the money is so much better than it was back in Jack's day. If you wanted to set yourself up for life back then, it took two or three majors to do it.

[Tom_Doak]

McIlroy is what, 21?  How many professional majors had Tiger won at 21?

Don't compare him to Sergio, until it is obvious that he no longer cares about winning.  And there's no way that can happen for 7-8 more years.

[Don_Mahaffey]

I was hoping I'd see Rory and caddie cracking up about where his ball ended up. It should have been funny. Sadly, it was way too serious and it was like you could feel all the air was out of the balloon.
I told my son. who is turning into a fine player, that if he ever hits it into a place like that and I'm looping for him, I'm giving him grief the whole time. Its one shot, a bad bounce, its not the end unless you let it be the end.

And Tiger was a jerk afterward. I think villain suits him better anyhow so he should run with that.

[JR Potts]

It's like I've said numerous times - Tiger just needs to embrace what he truly is and go "Bad Tiger."  Screw the Sunday red....Screw the Bubba and Luke Donald all-white....go all-back....all the time.  

He should rent out the penthouse at the biggest party hotel near each tour stop and throw blow-out bashes on the Sunday after each event.   He needs to embrace his inner-desires...date supermodels...do US Magazine interviews....and just go Bad Tiger.  90% of men everywhere would secretly be rooting for him....and when they overtly show their enthusiasm for his "success", they'll get "the look" from their wives and/or girlfriends.

Bad Tiger is the answer.

That said, Rory will be back....and I anticipate it will be sooner than we expect.  But his failure does show how amazing Tiger's accomplishments at his young age have been.

[Matt_Ward]

Rick:

The best thing that can happen to Rory is a bit of humility -- knock some of the look-at-me-cocky attitude he was showing -- for all his gas and wind about Tiger the 80 will hang around his neck for quite some time. The potential is there -- but plenty of things were said for Sergio too at an early age. We shall see.

Ryan:

Love the Darth Vader theme -- maybe they can play the music whenever Tiger enters the screen !

JLahrman:

Help me out -- if the PGA didn't pick traditional US Open sites then the association would be blamed for going to non-descript places which happened years before Awtrey and team got involved. The PGA is smart to balance their agenda for their championship. No doubt next year's event at The Ocean Course should be something to see.

Jud:

Lack of clear identity. Hello. It's the 3rd oldest major and if bothers to see what's been done since Awtrey took the helm and in having Kerry Haigh set up the events you get some thrilling stuff. Who can forget Woods v Bob May at Valhalla a few years back. Love's win at WF/W was utter brilliance -- no one, repeat after me, beats up the West at Winged Foot. He demonstrated other spectacular efforts -- the final round at The Player's -- given the conditions relative to what everyone else was shooting is considered by many to be one of the best final rounds in recent memory on tour.

Love's problem was, in my mind, motivation. He just seemed indifferent -- must have gotten that from his bud Freddie.

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