O.T. How Good was Young Tom?

[Brian_Ewen]

Which good player hasn't choked in competition?

Was Mac Smith just unlucky ?

[Jim Nugent]

Most interesting to me is that Tilly chose Vardon over Bobby Jones.  He was a contemporary to both.  I wonder how many people today would rank them like that? 

[Sean_A]

Most interesting to me is that Tilly chose Vardon over Bobby Jones.  He was a contemporary to both.  I wonder how many people today would rank them like that? 

Jim

I too was intrigued by this ordering of players.  As both players were very successful I suspect Tillie was speaking more toward Vardon's game of being so steady.  Being a pro could be part of it as well - meaning Vardon had to bring more often than Jones.  Finally, Vardon overcoming his illness (TB I believe) to win another Open may have something to so with it. 

Today Jones is just about on a pedestal all his own - at least in the States whereas Vardon, while still justly famous, is not nearly as revered.  Personally, I would put Vardon right there with Watson, Hogan and maybe Player - just. 

There can be no doubt that one can only be the best (or damn as near it) of his time to be be considered one of the all-time greats and that comparing across generations is fruitless if not fun.  Still, this sort of thing is part and parcel of how we learn the great history and traditions of the game.     

Ciao

[Phil_the_Author]

Sean & Jim,

Tilly never explained his rationale behind this ranking. I, too, have always been fascinated with wondering why... I think what intrigues me most of all is how many of those Top 9 were still playing competitively when he wrote this in 1939, with none being the answer. Yet if Tilly had written this just a scant 10 years later he most assuredly would have had Byron Nelson in his top 5 and Hogan rounding out in the next 5 somewhere.

It just goes to show, at least in my mind, that as much as time makes it fruitless to compare it is also the supreme equalizer...