Best Golfer Without a Major: 2023 Post-Majors Edition

[GolfLug]

2 hours ago, Carl3 said:

"Fuss" does not adequately describe the situation. Every 3 years, $100,000,000 is put in Rory's pocket by corporations. These same corporations advertise in the media that cover golf. These corporations want their boy to pay off for them. So, the media will be pulling for the boys that the corporations have bet on because these corporations are the source of their livelihood too. 

There are people who get paid to pick the right golfers to bet on. A big winner was Under Armor with Jordan Spieth who signed an $80M deal before he won big. If you are the person who convinced management to bet on a loser (someone who did not pan out as expected), you will probably need to find a new job.

I don't disagree that there is media fuss, gambling and corporate arrangements/payoffs interwoven with the Rory bandwagon, but I don't see why that is relevant to a common fan's expectations. Can't they stand on their own merit? It would please me no end if he won a major or majors again. 

Edited July 27, 2023 by GolfLug

[PatrickMurtha]

MegaCorp is over the moon about Brian Harman. I read an article about that.

My favorite Top Ten run in majors is Nicklaus, 1970-1981: 48 majors, 10 wins, 31 (!!) Top Tens, only one missed cut. Yowza! 

Edited July 27, 2023 by PatrickMurtha

[PatrickMurtha]

This discussion about Rory…The years since his last major have not been a failure, they have been a mind-boggling success, on the course and financially too. We put a little too much stress on wins per se. In a given baseball game, there is one winner and one loser. In a given track or swim sprint race, there might be one winner and seven losers. But in a given golf tournament, there is only one “winner” and 149 or so “losers”? This is a little ridiculous. The fact is that placement in the field counts enormously, and if you are consistently very near the top, you are a winner. 

[mdl]

At the right course where his length doesn't hurt as much I might vote for Tom Kim. Of the rest, my heart says Rickie. If I had to bet I'd have a tough time choosing between Cantlay and Xander.

[Archie Bunker]

The announcers at the Open kept pushing Min Woo Lee as the next "big thing".

[PatrickMurtha]

2 minutes ago, Archie Bunker said:

The announcers at the Open kept pushing Min Woo Lee as the next "big thing".

The best strategy with all next big things is to wait five years, because an awful lot of them flame out. 

[klineka]

3 minutes ago, Archie Bunker said:

The announcers at the Open kept pushing Min Woo Lee as the next "big thing".

Well this season he's been one of the longest hitters off the tee and one of the best putters so that's usually a pretty good combination for success.

Not quite a premier ball striker with his irons compared to other PGA tour guys but he will likely be near the top of a lot of leaderboards on weeks when he can hit his irons at or above tour average based on how far he hits it and how good he putts.

1 minute ago, PatrickMurtha said:

The best strategy with all next big things is to wait five years, because an awful lot of them flame out. 

He very well might flame out, but it's not all that common to have someone be top 10 in driving distance and top 5 in putting at the same time.

[Shindig]

7 hours ago, snapfade said:

Guy that sells now sells used cars in El Paso: "I think we should really pour everything in to this Ty Tryon guy, he's going to be big."

Wow, now there's a name I haven't thought about in a long time. 

[boogielicious]

4 hours ago, Archie Bunker said:

The announcers at the Open kept pushing Min Woo Lee as the next "big thing".

He’s not even the best in his family.

[bkuehn1952]

I always thought the “Best Without a Major” looked at older guys who won a lot but did not have a major. Many of the names being tossed out have a long career ahead.  Kutcher and Westwood fit the profile of running out of time to put a major on their extensive resume.

[PatrickMurtha]

3 hours ago, bkuehn1952 said:

I always thought the “Best Without a Major” looked at older guys who won a lot but did not have a major. Many of the names being tossed out have a long career ahead.  Kutcher and Westwood fit the profile of running out of time to put a major on their extensive resume.

Ah, that’s why I wrote in the original post “Best Golfer Without a Major (who still has a good chance at one)”.

I think that the best candidates are Rickie and Xander, but that the most likely golfer without a major to next get one is Viktor Hovland.

Lee Westwood is an Emeritus in the category at this point.

[iacas]

8 hours ago, PatrickMurtha said:

This discussion about Rory…The years since his last major have not been a failure, they have been a mind-boggling success, on the course and financially too. We put a little too much stress on wins per se. In a given baseball game, there is one winner and one loser. In a given track or swim sprint race, there might be one winner and seven losers. But in a given golf tournament, there is only one “winner” and 149 or so “losers”? This is a little ridiculous. The fact is that placement in the field counts enormously, and if you are consistently very near the top, you are a winner. 

Even Rory disagrees with you on this one. Winning matters.

[snapfade]

18 hours ago, PatrickMurtha said:

This discussion about Rory…The years since his last major have not been a failure, they have been a mind-boggling success, on the course and financially too. We put a little too much stress on wins per se. In a given baseball game, there is one winner and one loser. In a given track or swim sprint race, there might be one winner and seven losers. But in a given golf tournament, there is only one “winner” and 149 or so “losers”? This is a little ridiculous. The fact is that placement in the field counts enormously, and if you are consistently very near the top, you are a winner. 

Who came in second at the '84 Texas Open? No one knows, or cares. 2nd place is the first loser. You get in the Hall of Fame by being a winner. You will never hear, "This years inductee of most consistent 2nd place finisher goes to." Now consistent high finishes does benefit the player by money he makes, keeping his card, exposure for sponsors, etc, but in the end its they guy who hold up the trophy.