Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: David_Tepper on June 19, 2011, 07:26:43 PM
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We now have 4 first-time major winners and the oldest is 27!
And, the last 10-11 majors have all been won by different guys from 7-8 different countries. Great for the game as far as I am concerned.
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Remarkable, indeed, but is there any doubt that Rory is at the top of the class?
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Rory seems to have it all. The buttery swing, likeability, humility and a great support system. Although at the close of the third round I thought the lack of drama would take a lot of luster off of today it wasn`t the case. Just a fantastic day for golf.
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I think we should all jump the gun on this one and say that the guard has changed. Everyone wants to be the first one to say "I said it first." I'll wait and see, thank you very much.
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Congrats to Rory, what a rebound!!
Its now been 3 years since Tiger won a major. I don't think he will win any this year. Its been since 2006 since he won multiple majors in a year. These young guys will make it even harder.
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I think the guard is certainly changing. Remember the "Big 5" as they were called some years back? (Tiger, Phil, Ernie, Goosen & Singh) All 5 of them are currently irrelevant in the world of golf. I still think Tiger has one more 2 or 3 year stretch of dominant golf and Phil might get one more major, but the sun is setting on these guys.
It is a new era in golf. It will be interesting to see if anyone in the 20 something set can step forward and win multiple majors, or, if we get a revolving door of winners.
I'm not sure which way I like best.
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Is Rory officially "the man to beat?"
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Is Rory officially "the man to beat?"
For the next year and a half of majors for sure.
Who here doesn't think he'll win the Open Championship? He has to be the odds on favorite.
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Terry L., David H. & Potts -
Personally I would be reluctant to anoint McElroy the crown prince just yet. It will be interesting to see who among Oosthuizen, Kaymer, Schwartzel and McElroy is the first to win their 2nd major.
With regard to the upcoming British Open, it will be interesting to see how McElroy handles his new found fame and how he plays given that he has stated he is not especially fond of links golf.
DT
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Is Rory officially "the man to beat?"
For the next year and a half of majors for sure.
Who here doesn't think he'll win the Open Championship? He has to be the odds on favorite.
Well, given, as far as I can tell, that winning the US Open and Open Championship in the same year has only been done 6 times, twice by Bob Jones, the odds are not in his favor. We'll see though, I'd like to see it.
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David,
I think you make an excellent point. It will be interesting to see if Rory takes on a route like Phil M who can play the hell out of the American majors and rarely be in contention for The Open...and perhaps end up with 4-6 majors?
Or if he will take the Tiger route and learn how to hit lower shots and deal with all the crazy bounces and be more of the complete player and get into double digits.
I don't think there is any doubt he will be right in the mix for the traditional high ball hitting courses for the US side 3 majors of the year though.
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In his absolute prime (a few weeks before turning 26) he won the major by seven strokes -- one of the largest margins of victory in the history of the championship. Remarkably, it was his second major in less than a year, coming off his win the previous year on home soil. Surely, said the golf cognescenti, he'd be the one who would take on the game's dominant player, and a host of others on the way.
He never won another major.
See -- Tony Jacklin, circa 1970.
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It will be interesting to see if Rory takes on a route like Phil M who can play the hell out of the American majors and rarely be in contention for The Open...and perhaps end up with 4-6 majors?
Rory did manage to finish 3rd at last years Open Championship.
He also finished 3rd at The PGA last year, making the Masters, where he led for 60 something holes, his worst major result of the last 12 months.
The onyl question is whether he can beat Nicklaus's 18 majors or not. I think he will.
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The onyl question is whether he can beat Nicklaus's 18 majors or not. I think he will.
David
I love your sarcasm ;D
Plenty of people win one Professional Major - there's been 127 of them thus far.
Only 76 have gone on to win 2+....
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I'll take Rory and the over with the Major point at 5 all day long.
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None of those listed players are in McIlroy's league. It wouldn't surprise me that starting from now, that he wins more majors than those three combined. He is a special player.
Terry L., David H. & Potts -
Personally I would be reluctant to anoint McElroy the crown prince just yet. It will be interesting to see who among Oosthuizen, Kaymer, Schwartzel and McElroy is the first to win their 2nd major.
With regard to the upcoming British Open, it will be interesting to see how McElroy handles his new found fame and how he plays given that he has stated he is not especially fond of links golf.
DT
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I'd take the over in a second if the line on Rory is 4.5 Majors for his career....that puts him in elite company!!!
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Terry L., David H. & Potts -
Personally I would be reluctant to anoint McElroy the crown prince just yet. It will be interesting to see who among Oosthuizen, Kaymer, Schwartzel and McElroy is the first to win their 2nd major.
With regard to the upcoming British Open, it will be interesting to see how McElroy handles his new found fame and how he plays given that he has stated he is not especially fond of links golf.
DT
Oosthuizen, Kaymer, and Schwartzel? Really? Yang and McDowell are more likely to get to #2 than those guys. McIlroy will have no trouble getting to #2, #3 etc.
Rory took 3rd at The Open last year with an 80 in his scores after being hit by the severe weather squall.
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Would anyone have predicted that Norman would end his career with two majors, no green jacket and only 1/4 of the career slam?
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I love Rory and hope he dominates the game for the next two decades.
However, I think only time will tell if his putting stroke will hold up. He was saved by the greens at Congressional, in my opinion. Hard to imagine him doing what Goosen did at Shinnecock.
The comparisons with Tiger at this point are asinine. Tiger beat the field at Pebble by 15, almost twice what Rory was able to do. And he did it on a monster of a course where the 2nd place finisher came in at +3.
In Tiger's game, his putting could save a bad ball-striking day on a tough course. I just don't see Rory in the same light, but maybe that will come.
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Rory will putt well enough, given his ballstriking, until someone tempts him away from Dave Stockton and convinces him to agonize over every putt like it's a prostate exam. That'll turn him into the next Sergio...by age 30 he'll be striking the ball like Johnny Miller c. 1974 and putting like Tom Watson c. 2003.
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Was ANYBODY talking about McIlroy as the next coming before Thursday last week? He has now won 3 tournaments as a pro. 3. He may win many but it is way too early to tell. Anyone remember Sergio Garcia in "99??
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Was ANYBODY talking about McIlroy as the next coming before Thursday last week? He has now won 3 tournaments as a pro. 3. He may win many but it is way too early to tell. Anyone remember Sergio Garcia in "99??
I'm looking at his stats now.
2 Euro tour wins in 99', which at the time meant far little than they would now...
1 second place finish in a major, a far cry from Rory who has been in contention over the last 4 now.
"Nothing to see, move right along" ;D
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Was ANYBODY talking about McIlroy as the next coming before Thursday last week? He has now won 3 tournaments as a pro. 3. He may win many but it is way too early to tell. Anyone remember Sergio Garcia in "99??
I'm looking at his stats now.
2 Euro tour wins in 99', which at the time meant far little than they would now...
1 second place finish in a major, a far cry from Rory who has been in contention over the last 4 now.
"Nothing to see, move right along" ;D
He also was 19 and turned pro that fall before....my point is that in 1999 who would have thought that Sergio wouldn't have won at least one major by now, if not more. Golf is a funny game.
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Terry L., David H. & Potts -
Personally I would be reluctant to anoint McElroy the crown prince just yet. It will be interesting to see who among Oosthuizen, Kaymer, Schwartzel and McElroy is the first to win their 2nd major.
With regard to the upcoming British Open, it will be interesting to see how McElroy handles his new found fame and how he plays given that he has stated he is not especially fond of links golf.
DT
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"Rory doesn't care for links golf."
He shot a 61 at Portrush in a brisk breeze in 61 strokes. .......he was 16 years old.
Bob
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Was ANYBODY talking about McIlroy as the next coming before Thursday last week? He has now won 3 tournaments as a pro. 3. He may win many but it is way too early to tell. Anyone remember Sergio Garcia in "99??
Sean,
I don't know about the second coming (there's some pretty crazy talk being bandied about), but Rory has been on the radar for awhile for anyone paying attention. I recall watching him on TV playing in an Open Championship when he was about 17--I couldn't believe how good his swing looked and just how comfortable he appeared. He's certainly special and has been for some time. Bit premature to be predicting majors in the teens though. He could have a great career and fall well short of that.
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Was ANYBODY talking about McIlroy as the next coming before Thursday last week? He has now won 3 tournaments as a pro. 3. He may win many but it is way too early to tell. Anyone remember Sergio Garcia in "99??
I'm looking at his stats now.
2 Euro tour wins in 99', which at the time meant far little than they would now...
1 second place finish in a major, a far cry from Rory who has been in contention over the last 4 now.
"Nothing to see, move right along" ;D
He also was 19 and turned pro that fall before....my point is that in 1999 who would have thought that Sergio wouldn't have won at least one major by now, if not more. Golf is a funny game.
Sean,
Yes you make a very good point in that respect. There is no doubt Sergio was hailed as the Tiger beater, and it never panned out.
Even to this day its disheartening to see a guy who plays so well from Tee to green but just hasn't learned to master the flat stick.
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Sean,
Yes you make a very good point in that respect. There is no doubt Sergio was hailed as the Tiger beater, and it never panned out.
Even to this day its disheartening to see a guy who plays so well from Tee to green but just hasn't learned to master the flat stick.
The weird part is that back when Sergio came on tour, he putted great but didn't hit the ball well. IIRC he was around 4th on tour in putting in his first few years, but only hit low to mid-60% GIR.
He has pulled a complete 180. Now he putts awful and hits it great. Wonder why?
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As good as these young guys are, no one is really wanting to take control. Luke and Lee have been consistent but no one else has showed me they can dominate or continuously be there at the Majors. Jason Day and obviously Rory seem to be the two guys who could very well dominate this game for years given there young age and tremendous talent.
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Sean,
Yes you make a very good point in that respect. There is no doubt Sergio was hailed as the Tiger beater, and it never panned out.
Even to this day its disheartening to see a guy who plays so well from Tee to green but just hasn't learned to master the flat stick.
The weird part is that back when Sergio came on tour, he putted great but didn't hit the ball well. IIRC he was around 4th on tour in putting in his first few years, but only hit low to mid-60% GIR.
He has pulled a complete 180. Now he putts awful and hits it great. Wonder why?
It's mental. You choose the greats by mental toughness. There are a lot of highly skilled players out there that don't win the big ones much, because they lack the mental toughness to do it.
That is why I pick Graeme McD for more majors over Kaymer, Shwartzel, and Oostwhatever.
Forget skills. Michelle Wie may be the most gifted female player, but the exercise she put herself through shot what mental toughness she may have had. This is why right now Ms. Tseng is headed to be the next Annika.
The breakdown of Tiger's putting is mostly mental after what he has been through.
Sergio likewise.
It's why Padraig has more majors than Sergio. It's why Lefty has fewer than he should.
Some people don't come fully pre-equiped with the mental toughness, but acquire it through experience. That is how Tom Watson did it. That is what may give Michelle Wie a bright future. That appears to me to be the road Rory is on.