Rory has no star power

[Gunther]

I dunno if Rory will have a shot at these numbers due to his limited PGA schedule. I suspect as he gets older, he'll begin to cut down his schedule to help him peak for majors and there are a lot of Euro events that are important to him that he'll probably play his entire career, BMW, Dubai, Irish Open, Dunhill Cup, and maybe a few others. I do think he has the potential to achieve more worldwide wins than anyone but don't believe he'll ever crack this list of PGA Tour wins.

[Monte the Bear]

First off...derail much? Second off, most americans on here (including myself) don't like Bubba. Third, if you'd like to turn this into a bash american golf post, I'm quite confident we can turn the tables here because the likes of Donald, Westwood, and Poulter would give us more than enough underachieving ammunition to start. Nick Faldo is the greatest golfer your continent has ever had. That's just sad.

What I stated were the reason why American players don't class as superstars and McIlroy does. He's not American - if he was, you guys would be all over him. It's just geography.

[Monte the Bear]

McIlroy won't get anywhere near those numbers, because players these days do not play the number of tournaments they used to back in the 50's. Woods numbers are far superior to Jacks when you look at it like that. Plus I also think thatthere is far sterner competition these days than back in Jack's day.

Woods came in and filled the void from Norman, and Jack took over from Arnie.

McIlroy will win when he's on a streak, but make no doubt about it, he's a streak player.

[skydog]

What I stated were the reason why American players don't class as superstars and McIlroy does. He's not American - if he was, you guys would be all over him. It's just geography.

I 100% agree.

[Monte the Bear]

By the way, McIlroy will be at Old Trafford on Saturday with both the Wannamker and Claret Jug, presenting them to 75,000 Manchester United fans - should make for some interesting chants.

[ScouseJohnny]

Fact - Worldwide, Nike are kicking Callaway and Taylor Made's ass with club sales - the VRX Coverts are flying out of the door. Is this based on Tiger Woods? Charl Schwartzl? No.

Fact - Nike (golf) gross sales as reported 31st December 2013: $792,000,000. Projected figures for 2014, as of last quarter: $789,000,000 (0.38% decrease).

Fact - Callaway gross sales as reported 31st December 2013: $842,810,000.

I got my facts from Mergent and the US SEC filings. Where are your facts from?

Or maybe Callaway makes all of its money from balls....

[ScouseJohnny]

By the way, McIlroy will be at Old Trafford on Saturday with both the Wannamker and Claret Jug, presenting them to 75,000 Manchester United fans - should make for some interesting chants.

Likely the only silverware on display at Old Trafford this season.

[mmoan2]

I'm sure someone will provide stats to dispute my point. I don't have them but I would be quite confident in saying that when Rory's on, his driving is more consistent than Tiger's ever was. Either way, I'm guessing you remember Tiger's unbelievable recovery shots a lot more than you remember the countless 490 par 4 he went driver-wedge-make 8 foot putt.

I agree that when I first started watching golf, it was Tiger's recovery shots that were more thrilling. Maybe Rory just can't pull them off as consistently, which is why Tiger won 9 times in 2000 and 8 in 1999. Or 8 in 2006 and 2007, I believe.

I disagree with you that when Rory's on, his driving is more consistent. Tiger in 1999-2001, his years of 23-25, which is the best we've seen of Rory right now, led in overall driving by a large margin and was near the top in distance playing with a steel shaft. He hit over 65% of all fairways in 2000. That's why he was so decorated then. I'll give you that post-2004 Tiger's accuracy off the tee slipped, but not as bad as you may think. The past 5 years have been all over the place, but lets take this up in 12 years when Rory is in his late 30s.

[Crim]

[RJH999]

McIlroy has enough 'star power' to start this thread. Fact - Worldwide, Nike are kicking Callaway and Taylor Made's ass with club sales - the VRX Coverts are flying out of the door. Is this based on Tiger Woods? Charl Schwartzl? No. Fact - White Middle-Class Americans love watching Tiger twist in the wind. A freakshow. An Afro-Asian American who sleeps with white women and plays golf like a Viking God was always due a kicking, and as soon as his behaviour and body began to deteriorate, the WASP's were in on him like vultures on roadkill. Hell, I was at Augusta in 2011 and the cry's of ''Go Tiger'' were mixed with ''Go Rachel'' and ''Go PornDog''. There's a lot of schadenfreude (look it up) or what the Australians call the tall poppy syndrome about Americans that you don't see around the rest of the world. Fact - Fowler is good, but he's not got the nuts. When the chips were down on the back 9 on Sunday, Fowler shot par golf on a course with two reachable par 5's and a whole host of short par 4 with greens like dartboards. That said, the most likeable of the current crop. Fact - Everyone knows who Rory McIlroy is. His appeal is that he's humble but tough. A likeable assassin. Get used to him lifting the silver. As someone said, McIlroy moves the needle because it's in his pocket. But I'm guessing he's fine with the perception he doesn't move the needle - I'm guessing he quite likes the idea of Woods taking all of the 'TMZ' attention - he's had that and learnt from it. Fact - If you want to look at why Americans do not 'move the needle', just look at Bubba. As bigger farkwit on and off the course as you will meet. Look at DJ, sniffing coke off of PG's puta. Jimmy Walker and his three chins, wearing a shirt his wife stitched together. Look at Spieth, or WhiteBread as we call him, so bland is he. Look at Keegan Bradley...should'nt be a problem, he takes so long. Keegan, the grown up kid from 'The Omen'. None of these guys get it done like Mickelson, who will have his work cut out as the real team captain at Gleneagles. Fact - World Golf is not all about America. Can tell you straight - Rory McIlroy is welcome all around the world, world superstar. Bubba Watson...anyway. I really was hoping that Fowler would win on Sunday, to get away from the continual press speculation and media saturation of Tiger stories. Alas, it still continues.

You really don't think Tiger effects golf sales at all? Nonsense. I'm sure most people don't buy Nike clubs because Rory McIlroy plays them. They do because TIGER plays them, one of the best if not the best who ever played. -FACT You really think middle aged white men root for Tiger's fall? Nonsense. Middle aged white men are the biggest Tiger fans out there. This isn't 1965. -FACT Give the kid a break. He's young and he'll put it together soon. -FACT For me, Rory does not yet pass the "mom" test. Or "wife" test -FACT Add Figjam to that list. Leave Jimmy alone, he's a good dude :-) -FACT Don't disagree.

[Crim]

-FACT For me, Rory does not yet pass the "mom" test. Or "wife" test

I've seen him pass this test like 6 different times this weekend on facebook. It baffles me every time, Rory is a funky looking dude but they love him.

In fact, read his facebook commenters, large female base.

[RJH999]

I've seen him pass this test like 6 different times this weekend on facebook. It baffles me every time, Rory is a funky looking dude but they love him.  In fact, read his facebook commenters, large female base.

I dunno. I feel he will soon, but not right now. I feel like to pass the mom test you have to just get middle aged white women who work at banks or something boring. :-D. I live in a small town and nobody knows who he is. Then again, the only golfers my mother knows are Tiger, Figjam, and Elin's nine iron skills.

[Monte the Bear]

You really don't think Tiger effects golf sales at all? Nonsense. I'm sure most people don't buy Nike clubs because Rory McIlroy plays them. They do because TIGER plays them, one of the best if not the best who ever played.

-FACT You really think middle aged white men root for Tiger's fall? Nonsense. Middle aged white men are the biggest Tiger fans out there. This isn't 1965.

-FACT Give the kid a break. He's young and he'll put it together soon.

-FACT For me, Rory does not yet pass the "mom" test. Or "wife" test

-FACT Add Figjam to that list. Leave Jimmy alone, he's a good dude

-FACT Don't disagree.

Yeah right - people are ignoring McIlroy being the longest off the tee week upon week and buying VRX's because they like the way Woods slashes it into the neighbouring property. Please.

Yep. Seen the WASP anti-Tiger sentiment up close and personal and it wasn't nice. Like I said, saw it at Augusta, saw it at Congressional.

No. Fowler is not a kid - he's the same age as McIlroy. He just dresses like a kid in that dumb college outfit.

McIlroy floats the boat in different ways - nice guy, speaks well, humble, but a killer on the course. Like I said, get used to it.

I would pay to watch Mickelson every day of the week.

[RJH999]

Yeah right - people are ignoring McIlroy being the longest off the tee week upon week and buying VRX's because they like the way Woods slashes it into the neighbouring property. Please. Yep. Seen the WASP anti-Tiger sentiment up close and personal and it wasn't nice. Like I said, saw it at Augusta, saw it at Congressional. No. Fowler is not a kid - he's the same age as McIlroy. He just dresses like a kid in that dumb college outfit. McIlroy floats the boat in different ways - nice guy, speaks well, humble, but a killer on the course. Like I said, get used to it. I would pay to watch Mickelson every day of the week.

It doesn't matter how well Tiger is playing. People still by Jordans don't they? People bought them when he played for the Wizards. It doesn't matter how well he's playing. He's Tiger Woods. He could sell anything. Kids see Tiger Woods use Nike clubs, they want them. They see Derek Jeter number 2, they want that number. It doesn't matter how well they're playing.

[skydog]

Yeah right - people are ignoring McIlroy being the longest off the tee week upon week and buying VRX's because they like the way Woods slashes it into the neighbouring property. Please.

Yep. Seen the WASP anti-Tiger sentiment up close and personal and it wasn't nice. Like I said, saw it at Augusta, saw it at Congressional.

No. Fowler is not a kid - he's the same age as McIlroy. He just dresses like a kid in that dumb college outfit.

McIlroy floats the boat in different ways - nice guy, speaks well, humble, but a killer on the course. Like I said, get used to it.

I would pay to watch Mickelson every day of the week.

First off, I have no dog in the Nike race because I really dislike there clubs, but you're kidding yourself if you think Rory is a bigger seller of Nike products than Tiger. You think those thousands of fans who swarmed him on the practice round at Valhalla thought he was going to hit it straight or cared what he scored?? Nope, Tiger has far eclipsed the needing to play well to sell stuff phase. Think Elvis in the 70s.

And as for your purported racist golf fans- there are going to be a few ignorant idiots in any large group anywhere but claiming that any more than a very small minority of middle aged white golf fans have a problem with Tiger because of his ethnicity is just wrong, IMO.  It's akin to the media's- "if you don't like the president you must be a racist" card...it's possible some of us just don't like him for real, non-prejudicial reasons.

[FarawayFairways]

There's a lot of schadenfreude (look it up) or what the Australians call the tall poppy syndrome about Americans that you don't see around the rest of the world.

I think for balance though, it needs to be acknowledged that the British media, are perfectly capable of building folk up only to shoot them down once they sense they've flogged the 'good news' mileage out of them. If McIlroy becomes over exposed people will tire of the jovial Irishman routine and look for diversions and alternative slants on his story in their quest to write something different

[pumaAttack]

I pretty much only watch a PGA event if Rory McIlroy is playing in it...

[Monte the Bear]

It doesn't matter how well Tiger is playing. People still by Jordans don't they? People bought them when he played for the Wizards. It doesn't matter how well he's playing. He's Tiger Woods. He could sell anything. Kids see Tiger Woods use Nike clubs, they want them. They see Derek Jeter number 2, they want that number. It doesn't matter how well they're playing.

I don't know people in Europe who buy Jordans. In fact, I don't know many people who buy Nike shoes, frankly, apart from some of the retro sneakers like Renzo's.

Tiger Woods is dead as a brand, and if Nike could get Fowler they would drop Tiger like a fart in a jet. He's a ****ed 38 year old father who is going nowhere quick. His biggest sponsorship deal outside of Nike is MusclePharm. Think about it.

Derek Jeter is a legend, a cool guy, am honest white working-class hero. He has has as much in common with Tiger Woods as I do.