Critics have it wrong: The comparisons between young McIlroy and young Woods are based on excitement and promise. Not accomplishments.
It didn’t take long for Rory McIlroy to start drawing comparisons to Tiger Woods, in fact the suggestions began before he even hoisted the U.S. Open trophy this weekend at Congressional.
McIlroy’s age, his boyish charm and his dominant performance on the grand stage, all offered a trip down the memory lane Tiger Woods paved in the 1990s.
Continue reading “Rory Madness All About Potential, Not His Resume”
How will this year’s national championship be affected by a lack of Tiger Woods? Just who will hoist the trophy at Congressional?
Recent history in majors has been all about the meltdowns and it really got its start a year ago this week when Dustin Johnson handed away what seemed like a massive three-shot lead on the first tee that vanished quickly on his way to a brutal 82. It remains to be seen if this year’s U.S. Open venue, Congressional, will offer the risk-reward and downright difficult-yet-memorable holes seen at last year’s Pebble Beach.
Length is the defining characteristic of Congressional, made longer by reportedly soft fairways this week. Will that swing the advantage to the big hitters? Or does it play into the hands of a guy who hits it down the middle? With greens heading beyond 14 on the Stimpmeter (if you choose to believe the USGA), will an all-time great putter emerge?
There’s no Tiger Woods, no dominant number one player in the world, and certainly no clear-cut favorite this year. In fact, Las Vegas oddsmakers have installed “The Field” as an 8-1 “favorite,” with a batch of golfers (Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood) hovering around 12-1.
Our staff offer their predictions:
My pre-disaster visit to Japan found a golf-crazed nation. With recovery well on and Tokyo now safe for visitors, I’m itching for a return trip.
Several months before the catastrophic earthquake and subsequent tsunamis rocked Japan, I had to opportunity to spend a week in the country. On so many levels, I was impressed and really enjoyed experience of a culture so different than what I’m used to in America’s Northeast Corridor.
The island nation struck me as impeccably clean and orderly, especially given the massive population density of Tokyo, where I spent most of the trip. It was noticeably how polite and respectful the Japanese people were to each other and to visitors, making it very easy to explore, even while only knowing a couple phrases of the language.
I’ve held off on writing this column, knowing that sports and leisure have been on the backburner as Japan has recovered from the horrible disaster, but in recent weeks, the U.S. has lifted its travel warnings, and Tokyo is spreading the message that it’s open for business.
Continue reading “Discovering a Shared Passion In Far-Off Land”
Which golfers will have a breakout year in 2011?
The PGA Tour is built around guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, but they were young up-and-comers at one time as well. Golf fans are constantly looking for the next breakout star, and luckily for most, the last year or two has provided us with quite a few. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, and Rickie Fowler are just a few of the young guns who have stepped up in recent years and made an impact on the big stage. McIlroy and Johnson are both ranked in the top 15 in the world, while Fowler has already climbed into the top 30.
Between the Nationwide Tour and Q-School graduates, there are plenty of fresh faces joining the PGA Tour in 2011. I’ve followed a lot of the guys through the college ranks, while some will be returning to the bright lights after a year or two away. Who will follow in the footsteps of Fowler and be the next breakout golfer on the PGA Tour? I’ve picked out two guys who have what it takes to make a serious impact in 2011 and beyond. Enjoy!
Continue reading “Ten Questions for 2011 #6: Who Will be the Next Breakout Golfer?”
Ditching the cart has been just the kick I needed, and the pounds keep falling off.
I started off the year with a few golf resolutions, and like most people, I only had mild expectations of sticking to them. The one goal that really had the least to do with golf and the most to do with life was a commitment to walking the golf course as part of my overall plan to get into better shape.
Five months into 2011, and I can definitely declare that my resolution to ditch golf carts and become a walking golfer has been a successful mission, and the health benefits are stacking up in my support.
This week’s soap opera, starring Woods, Foley and Bubba makes for a riveting sideshow.
Has the eighth ranked golfer in the world ever been this big a deal? Because no matter how badly Tiger Woods struggles, the embattled superstar continues to gobble up nearly every ounce of golf attention. Few weeks offered as much evidence as this one, with fans and detractors hopping on Woods’ relationship with his coach, his fellow competitors and even his equipment.
Chalk it up to the layoff and the fact that Woods has been off the scene for a while, but there was no lack of drama surrounding the great one when he arrived at TPC Sawgrass for this week’s Players Championship. The most glaring storyline was borne out of Bubba Watson’s recent comment.
“I’ll just go ahead and say it. I think Tiger is going the wrong way,” said Watson.
Continue reading “Tiger Woods Drama More Fun When He’s Struggling”
If they love the Hilton Head event so much, take a cue from LPGA Tour and turn it into a no-purse, all-charity week.
There’s been an awful lot of hand wringing and furrowed brows over the future of the PGA Tour’s Hilton Head Island stop, thanks to a lack of sponsorship to continue carrying the Heritage.
From players who rave about Harbour Town Golf Links as well as the beautiful HHI setting to the locals who say the tournament creates millions in revenue for the local economy, it seems no one wants to see it go.
I’ve got a solution for the players: Fund it yourselves.
Continue reading “Players Should Stand Up, Save Heritage Themselves”
My most special on-course experiences involve great courses. But to reach the top of the list, these three go beyond anything I’ve seen before.
So many elements add up to creating an unforgettable round of golf. It might be a birdie on the toughest hole, the miraculous putt on 18 for your career best, or the golf course itself. Could even be watching your uncle make four birdies to start the round and caring far less about your match and more about him carding the type of score that made him your golf hero to begin with.
Thanks to my day job as a newspaper editor (and my obsession with playing golf whenever and wherever possible) I’ve had opportunities through the years to play some of the best golf courses in the world. USGA championship media events at Baltusrol and Saucon Valley come quickly to mind as two of the heavyweight classic designs I’ve been lucky to play.
But as much respect and admiration as I have for the classics, I’ve come to realize that to crack into the class of “burned into the memory forever” it takes something beyond simply a great golf course.
It usually means seeing something new, experiencing golf in a way you’ve never previously imagined. Three unique experiences stand out and illustrate exactly how I’d define the formula for truly memorable golf experiences.
Continue reading “When it Comes to Memorable Golf, it’s About More Than a Score”
More than winners and losers, our panel offers up surprise picks and the style of golf they hope to see.
A year ago, Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf set the stage for a remarkable Masters week. While Woods had the attention heading in (and played what turned out to be his best tournament of the year), his long-time rival Phil Mickelson stole the show. Consecutive eagles on Saturday. A rousing final round to capture his third green jacket. Little did we know it would be the high point of both golfers’ season.
A year later, we enter Augusta with Mickelson fresh off a birdie-fest victory and Tiger still limping along, having fallen to a once-unimaginable seventh in the world. Will this be the first time since 1999 that a European player — five of the top six in the world are from across the pond — emerges? Our experts weigh in.
