2014 PGA Championship Discussion Thread

[StealthTrader]

Wonder why Rory is dominating so much. Is it breaking up with his fiancé, getting used to his Nike clubs or something more??!

Dominating the game means consistently winning golf tournaments.  The reason Tiger, dominated is because he'd win a Major in conjunction with 5-7 wins that same year.  He did not simply pop-up on a streak and win a few Majors.  He won 79 times on the PGA Tour and he has the highest win percentage relative to total starts than anybody ever has - including 18 WGCs - a number so impressive that even Brandel, refuses to talk about it much.  That's dominance.

When Rory, reaches Major win Number 9 or 10, then it will be time to seriously sit down and start discussing how much longer he'll be able to remain dominant in the game.  Right now, he's accomplished a mere 28.5% of what Tiger, has accomplished in Majors.  Give it time.  He can't possibly "dominate" anything right now, when the world's best of the best is still on tour.

When Jack and Tiger, were on the same tour together, there was absolutely zero doubt in my mind about who was the dominant player.  Jack Nicklaus, with 18 Majors, regardless of what Tiger, was doing at the time, made him the most dominant player in the game  - bar none.   However, when Jack, left the tour it was Tiger, who stepped into that void and filled it with becoming the fasted man alive to 79 PGA Tour wins, 18 WGC Championships and 14 Majors and that's not including all of the major stats records that still stand as all time historical events in the game of professional golf.

People may not like Tiger, personally because of the mistakes he made in his personal life.  However, nobody, regardless of how badly they want to see Tiger, fail to reach Jack's all-time record of 18 Major wins, can take away one ounce of what Tiger, has accomplished thus far in his career.  And, until somebody steps up and wins at least 14 Majors, there cannot possibly be anyone on par or even remotely in the same Galaxy with Tiger Woods.

It is like this:

- Jack, is sitting out there on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy all by himself with 18 Majors.

- Tiger, is riding along side the NASA Kepler Probe, discovering new worlds as it approaches the edge of the Milky Way.

- Rory, with today's victory has basically placed himself slightly beyond Saturn, but well within our own solar system.

In other words, before Rory, starts "dominating" anything, he's got to get out of our solar system which is something both Jack and Tiger, have done a very long time ago.

When Rory, reaches number 10, we can "begin" the conversation about his "dominance."

[The Recreational Golfer]

Not that it amounted to much, but I was a bit conflicted by David Feherty looking for Jason Day's ball when he yanked it into the weeds on the second hole. On the one hand, if F saw it where it went, there's no reason for him not to help look, unless he's a reporter, and one of the primary rules of reporting is to report the event, not be a part of it.

[Ernest Jones]

Rory just confirmed his 284yd 3 wood on 10 was lucky. Was 30 feet lower and 15 yards left of where he intended. "It was lucky- it really was. You need a little bit of luck to win a major and that was my lucky break."

I thought as much as soon as it left the club face. It's all part of the game. I wish my lucky breaks were THAT awesome. Lol. I'd probably be so shocked that I blow the putt anyway.

[mvmac]

Rory just confirmed his 284yd 3 wood on 10 was lucky. Was 30 feet lower and 15 yards left of where he intended. "It was lucky- it really was. You need a little bit of luck to win a major and that was my lucky break."

Yea looks like a necked it a little.

[JP golf]

That was a good tournament to watch...  I enjoyed watching some good golf played.  Rory is becoming more fun to watch, but I did want to see Ricky win this one...  I'd love to see a new rivalry that could last a while...  It would be great for golf for Ricky to win the next major and win a few more tournaments and keep his momentum going...  Harmon seems to have him moving in the right direction.

[late347]

IN CASE you were actually watching the tournament...

It wasn't Rory's "domination" throughout the entire tournament...

Phil made a good charge towards the end, makincg birdie on the final hole. It was not inconceivable for Phil to have holed that pitch for eagle - but it was not to be. Phil was on fire at the final holes.

Stenson also screwed himself with putts, and the some bad shots near the end.

But I do agree that possibly the two best breaks that Rory got in tournament: mishit 3wood towards the pin and thereby converted eagle.

Also Rory's teeshot at the final hole. I suppose it was lucky that he was skirting the edges of water hazard a few times in the tournament, yet never quite rolling to the drink. Anybody could see that the slope on that water hazard was very steep, so it was not inconceivable for the ball to have caught an unlucky downward roll.

Maybe it was the rough conditions which stopped rolls, but at the same measure, Rory's 3wood rolled a long ways, to the actual pin. That was fairway though, but even so.

[Zeph]

Flirting? ?

Flirting? No. No possible way this tournament finishes today.

How about that Monday finish, eh?

Congrats to Rory! Absolutely amazing performance recently. I'm looking forward to see what he can do in the future.

[9iron]

Tiger wins. Seriously, the guy won four majors in a row. Two months ago people were wondering when the heck Rory McIlroy was gonna get out of his slump…

Also, seriously guys, you haven't heard of The Onion?

What happened to your thesis that as time goes by the pool of golfers gets larger and then automatically the best player from a later era is better then the best player from an eralier era? That seems to be your primary thesis in the Jack vs. Tiger thread. I guess that only applies to Jack, and not to Tiger.

[nevets88]

With line calling tech in tennis and now goal verification camera in WC, maybe one day golf will have radar and ball contact location? In reference to McIlroy's 3W and Fowler's thin shots on the par 5.

[9iron]

Dominating the game means consistently winning golf tournaments.  The reason Tiger, dominated is because he'd win a Major in conjunction with 5-7 wins that same year.  He did not simply pop-up on a streak and win a few Majors.  He won 79 times on the PGA Tour and he has the highest win percentage relative to total starts than anybody ever has - including 18 WGCs - a number so impressive that even Brandel, refuses to talk about it much.  That's dominance.

What was Bobby Jones' win percentage?

[9iron]

IN CASE you were actually watching the tournament...

It wasn't Rory's "domination" throughout the entire tournament...

Phil made a good charge towards the end, makincg birdie on the final hole. It was not inconceivable for Phil to have holed that pitch for eagle - but it was not to be. Phil was on fire at the final holes.

Stenson also screwed himself with putts, and the some bad shots near the end.

But I do agree that possibly the two best breaks that Rory got in tournament: mishit 3wood towards the pin and thereby converted eagle.

Also Rory's teeshot at the final hole. I suppose it was lucky that he was skirting the edges of water hazard a few times in the tournament, yet never quite rolling to the drink. Anybody could see that the slope on that water hazard was very steep, so it was not inconceivable for the ball to have caught an unlucky downward roll.

Maybe it was the rough conditions which stopped rolls, but at the same measure, Rory's 3wood rolled a long ways, to the actual pin. That was fairway though, but even so.

Every tournament ever won over 4 days involves luck. Rory pulled a shot on the same #10 hole on Friday and it went OB. Phil's chip on 16 yesterday could have gone in the hole for a 3 instead of what turned out to be a 5. Isn't that golf?

I have seen Tiger win on some shots that were 1 in 100 type shots, yet they went in the cup. And he won by that 1 shot. Same for Phil. Now Rory. Matters not how, just how many.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StealthTrader

Dominating the game means consistently winning golf tournaments.  The reason Tiger, dominated is because he'd win a Major in conjunction with 5-7 wins that same year.  He did not simply pop-up on a streak and win a few Majors.  He won 79 times on the PGA Tour and he has the highest win percentage relative to total starts than anybody ever has - including 18 WGCs - a number so impressive that even Brandel, refuses to talk about it much.  That's dominance.

What was Bobby Jones' win percentage?

Quote:

Originally Posted by late347

IN CASE you were actually watching the tournament...

It wasn't Rory's "domination" throughout the entire tournament...

Phil made a good charge towards the end, makincg birdie on the final hole. It was not inconceivable for Phil to have holed that pitch for eagle - but it was not to be. Phil was on fire at the final holes.

Stenson also screwed himself with putts, and the some bad shots near the end.

But I do agree that possibly the two best breaks that Rory got in tournament: mishit 3wood towards the pin and thereby converted eagle.

Also Rory's teeshot at the final hole. I suppose it was lucky that he was skirting the edges of water hazard a few times in the tournament, yet never quite rolling to the drink. Anybody could see that the slope on that water hazard was very steep, so it was not inconceivable for the ball to have caught an unlucky downward roll.

Maybe it was the rough conditions which stopped rolls, but at the same measure, Rory's 3wood rolled a long ways, to the actual pin. That was fairway though, but even so.

Every tournament ever won over 4 days involves luck. Rory pulled a shot on the same #10 hole on Friday and it went OB. Phil's chip on 16 yesterday could have gone in the hole for a 3 instead of what turned out to be a 5. Isn't that golf?

I have seen Tiger win on some shots that were 1 in 100 type shots, yet they went in the cup. And he won by that 1 shot. Same for Phil. Now Rory. Matters not how, just how many.

@9iron

Please use the multi quote function

[CraiginKSA]

Every tournament ever won over 4 days involves luck. Rory pulled a shot on the same #10 hole on Friday and it went OB. Phil's chip on 16 yesterday could have gone in the hole for a 3 instead of what turned out to be a 5. Isn't that golf?

I have seen Tiger win on some shots that were 1 in 100 type shots, yet they went in the cup. And he won by that 1 shot. Same for Phil. Now Rory. Matters not how, just how many.

Rory's tee shot was 1 yard from going into the hazard on 18.  Remember last week when Rory, Sergio and Rickie were back and forth.  Two times on the back nine Rory's ball was heading for the trees and both times they kicked out into the fairway.  Yea, there is an element of luck involved.

[nevets88]

You're in good hands, with Rory... I did say in another thread pro golfers had mucho coordination.

Jungle, welcome to the jungle...

[nevets88]

Now that I think about it, if McIlroy's ball crossed the hazard line, 1 yard more to the right, where would the drop be? I forget the layout of the 18th.

[saevel25]

Now that I think about it, if McIlroy's ball crossed the hazard line, 1 yard more to the right, where would the drop be? I forget the layout of the 18th.

Or he just plays it from the hazard. Just because it crosses the red line, doesn't mean he has to drop it.

Rory's tee shot was 1 yard from going into the hazard on 18.  Remember last week when Rory, Sergio and Rickie were back and forth.  Two times on the back nine Rory's ball was heading for the trees and both times they kicked out into the fairway.  Yea, there is an element of luck involved.

Its called golf, luck is always involved in some respect.

What was Bobby Jones' win percentage?

Who did Jones play against? He was the best of his time playing against nobody. All he played in was in Amateur Tournaments.

What happened to your thesis that as time goes by the pool of golfers gets larger and then automatically the best player from a later era is better then the best player from an eralier era? That seems to be your primary thesis in the Jack vs. Tiger thread. I guess that only applies to Jack, and not to Tiger.

That's because we are talking about Tiger, who is in the downturn of his career, comparing to Rory who is only 25. The discussion of Tiger versus Jack is Tiger in what he has done in his career versus Jack. Back when Tiger had 4 Majors, they whispered the thought of him passing Jack's record. They were not declaring him the best of all time. Is Rory facing stiffer competition now, yes. The fields are deeper and slightly stronger now than in 2000, and way stronger than when Jack played.

When comparing Tiger in his prime, versus Rory now. Tiger circa 2000 is better than Rory now. If Rory the firs two majors of next year and has a near double digit win total in one year, then we can start saying Rory is in the same league as 2000 Tiger.

[Zeph]

IN CASE you were actually watching the tournament...

It wasn't Rory's "domination" throughout the entire tournament...

Who says it was? The leadeboard was pretty stacked after the third round. Rory was the leader, but only a few shots ahead of a large group of players.

He started poorly on Sunday with two bogeys on the first six holes, but turned it around by shooting five under par on the last 12 holes.

He is currently dominating the game/PGA Tour. I hardly think anyone can disagree when he's won three consecutive events, including two majors.

[iacas]

- Jack, is sitting out there on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy all by himself with 18 Majors.

- Tiger, is riding along side the NASA Kepler Probe, discovering new worlds as it approaches the edge of the Milky Way.

- Rory, with today's victory has basically placed himself slightly beyond Saturn, but well within our own solar system.

You'll find plenty of people who disagree with you here: .

Not that it amounted to much, but I was a bit conflicted by David Feherty looking for Jason Day's ball when he yanked it into the weeds on the second hole. On the one hand, if F saw it where it went, there's no reason for him not to help look, unless he's a reporter, and one of the primary rules of reporting is to report the event, not be a part of it.

I'm not conflicted. Golf should be played first and foremost by finding your golf ball. After all, that's what obligates a fellow competitor to help you look for your golf ball, etc.

Just like the TV trucks helped play back Rory's ball stuck in the tree, and relayed the location to the on-course reporter, the TV people were talking to David as well.

What happened to your thesis that as time goes by the pool of golfers gets larger and then automatically the best player from a later era is better then the best player from an eralier era? That seems to be your primary thesis in the Jack vs. Tiger thread. I guess that only applies to Jack, and not to Tiger.

Uhm, 4 is a long ways away from 14. Let's talk when Rory takes his 8th, 9th, or 10th major championship and has 50-60+ wins on the PGA Tour.

And it's not my "primary thesis." It's one of many, many points that, in my opinion, put Tiger over the edge compared to Jack.

Is Rory better "right now" than Tiger? Absolutely. Has he had a better career? Uhm, no, and for you to try to equate what I've said in the Jack/Tiger thread to Rory now, after four major victories, does not speak well of your understanding of my point.

Who did Jones play against? He was the best of his time playing against nobody. All he played in was in Amateur Tournaments.

And some "open" events. C'mon now, Matt. Let's not slag the dead guys too much. :)

That's because we are talking about Tiger, who is in the downturn of his career, comparing to Rory who is only 25. The discussion of Tiger versus Jack is Tiger in what he has done in his career versus Jack. Back when Tiger had 4 Majors, they whispered the thought of him passing Jack's record. They were not declaring him the best of all time. Is Rory facing stiffer competition now, yes. The fields are deeper and slightly stronger now than in 2000, and way stronger than when Jack played.

See @9iron , Matt gets it, and he thought Bobby Jones only played against amateurs! :D

Sorry @saevel25 just poking some fun. :)