Danny Lee: The next world #1?

[DavidFehertysBike]

By the time all of these new kids Mclroy, Lee, AK, etc.. are good enough to beat Tiger he probably will have majors record and cemented himself as the best golfer ever. By that point will it even matter if Lee can beat Tiger?

[Zeph]

A good swing is one thing, but they have a long way to go to reach the mental capabilites of Tiger.

I hope they all will be able to challenge Tiger seriously, he's been too dominant the last couple of years. The world of golf needs better competition over the first place. Not by removing Tiger, but by giving him oponents which can beat him.

[JetFan1983]

Danny Lee to Change Swing?
per Yahoo Sports

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Days after becoming the youngest winner of a European Tour or Australasian Tour event, 18-year-old amateur Danny Lee has decided to change his swing.

The Korean-born New Zealand golfer closed with consecutive birdies to win the Johnnie Walker Classic by a stroke on Sunday, forgoing the prize money but moving from No. 562 to No. 159 in the world rankings and earning a three-year exemption on the European, Asian and Australasian Tours.

It was a conversation with Butch Harmon-trained Won Joon Lee during the Johnnie Walker that encouraged Lee to alter his swing.

“I didn’t really like the follow-through of my swing so I asked him a couple of questions and he taught me some good tips, so I’m working on that at the moment,” Lee said. “He is coached by Butch Harmon and I really like his swing—like Adam Scott. I really like their style of swing so I asked him a few questions.”

Lee plans to turn pro after the Masters—he gets to play at Augusta as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion.

For now, he’s back at practice preparing for the Moonah Classic, which is jointly sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour and the Australasian PGA and starts Thursday at the 7,421-yard Moonah Links course.

He wasn’t expecting any spectacular finishes on the weekend because he doesn’t like links courses.

“It’s pretty hard out there, I’m a bit disappointed about that,” Lee told the Associated Press on Tuesday. “It’s going to be a hard week for me.”

[Big_M]

I'm happy I was able to make it out to the US Amatuer last year and watch Danny Lee in person... who knows, it may be a story for my children and grandchildren in the years to come.

However, I have said it before and will say it again... all this "next Tiger" talk is useless... lets just wait until someone actually does SOMETHING, and by SOMETHING I mean hang on to the #1 spot a while, win numerous majors, humiliate fields, etc.

Tiger turned pro in late 96'... he won the Masters (impressively) only a few months later in 97' and was #1 by the end of the year.

[GaijinGolfer]

Please don't start this argument up again. There is no doubt that winning on the pga tour is different, but not ''much much different''. The European Tour is not far behind the PGA tour, its just that there's a bit more money on the US tour....in terms of the quality of player, there is hardly any diference at all. When Faldo was world Number 1, he played most of his golf on the European tour.

When Faldo was #1, that was a much different time. Nowdays, if you want to compete against the best of the best, you gotta play on the PGA Tour.

Comparing the Euro Tour to the PGA Tour is like comparing the CFL to the NFL. Similar yes, but until you do well on the PGA Tour, you really cant brag about anything. When Lee does well in a major here in the states, then I will believe that he is for real. Until then, he is just another young player who shows a potential for greatness.

[Shorty]

W

Agreed. Let's see how he goes against a strong field that includes, for example: Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomery, Greg Norman.

Until then he's just a boy trying to be a man.

[mstuk]

When Faldo was #1, that was a much different time. Nowdays, if you want to compete against the best of the best, you gotta play on the PGA Tour.

Your arrogance is truely astounding half the worlds top 10 plays on the european tour and lest we forget this is a ranking sysytem that provides considerable assistance to anyone playing in the US full time in terms of their ability to accumulate points. In the last 10 ryder cups europe has retained the trophy on 6 occassions to the 4 of the US .

[RichF]

When Faldo was #1, that was a much different time. Nowdays, if you want to compete against the best of the best, you gotta play on the PGA Tour.

Anthony Kim...Camilo Villegas....European Tour....last 3 weeks.....no more clues.....

[iacas]

Your arrogance is truely astounding half the worlds top 10 plays on the european tour

The only point relevant to THIS discussion is how strong the field was the week he won.

I'm under the impression it was a pretty weak field, as virtually none of the world's top 64 was there, since they were preparing for the Match Play. The "which Tour is better" discussion is OFF TOPIC for this thread and has been beat to death in other threads.

[mstuk]

I agree the field was weak and I did not opine as to the respective merits of either tour rather to the American poster who maintained that if you had not won on the PGA tour you had no bragging rights or some such thing . I suggest rather than taking my comment out of context you upbraid him for his !

[RocketSauce]

Re: Danny Lee: The next world #1?

maybe someday, but not anytime soon....just my opinion

[McIlroy_man]

When Faldo was #1, that was a much different time. Nowdays, if you want to compete against the best of the best, you gotta play on the PGA Tour.

you must be kidding! Best example of you being 100% wrong is Padraig Harrington! Currently 4th in the world, Has 24 career wins to his name, only 5 considered to be PGA tour victories and 3 of them were majors, 2 of which were played in Scotland! so your trying to tell me that a 3 time major winner and europe's on/off best player is not able to brag?? You take tiger out of the equasion and to compete with the best of the best you need to be on the eastern side of the Atlantic And why does the major lee plays well in have to be in the states? bet most pros would take the open championship over the PGA or US open glad thats off my chest

[Bo the Golfer]

you must be kidding!

The best players play on the PGA Tour as of right now so I think you are wrong in your argument. There will always be an example of a player that does not fit with this but overall PGA Tour has a deeper talent pool. I won't use this years Ryder Cup as an example because I feel the reason the Americans won (without Tiger by the way) was because they finally gelled as a team. Europe been doing that for years. There may be a shift in the next few years but not yet. As far as Danny (to stay on topic) I certainly don't see him as the next #1. I watched his win and was impressed but that is miles away fronm taking the top spot in the world.

[pcmancini]

bet most pros would take the open championship over the PGA or US open

I doubt "most" would take the Open Championship over the US Open. This would all depend on where you were from. Most US pros would likely take the US Open. At least IMHO.

[RichF]

I doubt "most" would take the Open Championship over the US Open. This would all depend on where you were from. Most US pros would likely take the US Open. At least IMHO.

I think you'll find that pretty much

every professional golfer would take a win at The Open to any of the other major tournaments. It's pretty much been documented in countless interviews with every top player that The Open is the most prestigous. But don't shoot the messenger - go and ask someone like...Mr Woods.

[bogeyhitter25]

If Ogilvy was 10 years younger I'd say him. Wait, maybe even in a few years if Ogilvy keeps playing good, he could be 2 or possibly 1.

[KwSipp]

This is so funny to read really I just cant seem to see why its such a topic to talk about but I guess Ill put my 2cents in ....golf is a game of highs and lows and with that being said to increase the highs of this "sport" you can take routes that not many people take and that would be fitness just look at tiger and compare him to when he was young, just my opinion but to everyone listening whichever of these so called young talents "by which there are so many" actually takes the time to build there body to be a more dominant athlete I think that would be the way to there victories.... argue as you will lol

[Stacey_E]

Everything I want to say about the "next Tiger" has already been said. Thanks guys! You all saved me a ton of typing. Where is the icon for the puking guy? That's the one I'm looking for everytime I hear..."the next"...

The next no. 1 after who? After Kim, after McIlroy, after . Please, unless Tiger breaks down physically and UNTIL one of these guys wins a half dozen majors no one is taking Tiger's place.

There's no question mark after "great" describing either Miller or Watson, they were both great players, period. As for in Jack's "class", after Tiger where do we go in the Nicklaus era for most PGA wins and most majors, some head to head, with Nicklaus? Tom Watson, not just a "good" player, one of the best of all time, hands down.

Next #1 in about ten years or whenever Tiger hangs it up, maybe. This kid is good and has a load of potential but golf is littered with those who were supposed to be "the next big thing."

By the time all of these new kids Mclroy, Lee, AK, etc.. are good enough to beat Tiger he probably will have majors record and cemented himself as the best golfer ever. By that point will it even matter if Lee can beat Tiger?

A good swing is one thing, but they have a long way to go to reach the mental capabilites of Tiger.

... all this "next Tiger" talk is useless... lets just wait until someone actually does SOMETHING, and by SOMETHING I mean hang on to the #1 spot a while, win numerous majors, humiliate fields, etc.