Career grand slam - who gets it first, Spieth or McIlroy?

[BerndCheeseburger]

Rory is getting way too technical with his putting and is overthinking on the course. He needs to go back to a more reactionary approach I think.Technically Rory's all-round game (when on form) is waaaay better than Spieths. However Spieth has the fortitude and killer instinct that Rory seems to lack sometimes. I think it is a matter of when and not if one of them completes the grand slam and I can't wait to watch it all unfold

[Groucho Valentine]

  On 7/27/2017 at 2:12 PM, BerndCheeseburger said:

Rory is getting way too technical with his putting and is overthinking on the course. He needs to go back to a more reactionary approach I think.Technically Rory's all-round game (when on form) is waaaay better than Spieths. However Spieth has the fortitude and killer instinct that Rory seems to lack sometimes. I think it is a matter of when and not if one of them completes the grand slam and I can't wait to watch it all unfold

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How so? Rory has always been streaky with his putting and short game. The things I've read about him point to him not being much of a swing tinkerer, and his stroke looks the same as it ever has.  But i agree in that when Rory is on one of his runs, theres nobody in the game that can touch him. 

Edited July 27, 2017 by Groucho Valentine

[BerndCheeseburger]

@Groucho Valentine I just think the flow and confidence from his stroke has diminished over the past few years. This may be down to a number of factors, equipment change, putting grip change and external media pressures but I think his recent move to Phil Kenyon has put emphasis on the perfect stroke rather than the perfect outcome. Whereas Spieth is and always has been about outcome rather than aesthetics. Rory's work with Phil Kenyon could prove very fruitful and improve his putting but I am just concerned that it may hinder is performance on the greens.

[Groucho Valentine]

  On 7/27/2017 at 2:51 PM, BerndCheeseburger said:

@Groucho Valentine I just think the flow and confidence from his stroke has diminished over the past few years. This may be down to a number of factors, equipment change, putting grip change and external media pressures but I think his recent move to Phil Kenyon has put emphasis on the perfect stroke rather than the perfect outcome. Whereas Spieth is and always has been about outcome rather than aesthetics. Rory's work with Phil Kenyon could prove very fruitful and improve his putting but I am just concerned that it may hinder is performance on the greens.

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Hmm. I didn't know he moved to a new coaching team. Last i knew he worked with Dave Stockton on his putting. 

[BerndCheeseburger]

Yeah I think he moved in September/October last year. He has a stellar list of current clients including Stenson and Rose so he has a proven track record of working with big players. As I say the move might work for him only time will tell

[chilepepper]

Depends on who's back holds up.....right now my money would be on Jordan

[MuniGrit]

Golf isn't about the how great your A game is it is really how bad is your bad game. Rory game when it is off doesn't consistently post a good score like Jordan can do.

[BerndCheeseburger]

Agreed @MuniGrit I reckon if Rory was where Jordan was on 13 on Sunday that he would not have made a 5, i would think a 6 at best.

[ChrisP]

  On 7/27/2017 at 2:37 PM, Groucho Valentine said:

 But i agree in that when Rory is on one of his runs, theres nobody in the game that can touch him. 

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He hasn't had "one of those runs" in almost three years now. You have to go back to the 2014 PGA Championship to find the last time Rory contended on Sunday in a major. He's had some backdoor top-5s when he was out of contention, but Rory has not sniffed a major in a long time. All this talk about "When Rory has his A-game." His present day A-game is what it is. He's a great ball striker and an average putter at best, and therefore, what we see is what we get. His "A-game from 2014" is in the past.

Edited July 27, 2017 by ChrisP

[MuniGrit]

  On 7/27/2017 at 2:37 PM, Groucho Valentine said:

How so? Rory has always been streaky with his putting and short game. The things I've read about him point to him not being much of a swing tinkerer, and his stroke looks the same as it ever has.  But i agree in that when Rory is on one of his runs, theres nobody in the game that can touch him. 

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Except Tiger Woods! When he is on one of his runs and A game we all know how that turns out! 

[Chris223]

  On 7/27/2017 at 8:26 PM, ChrisP said:

He hasn't had "one of those runs" in almost three years now. You have to go back to the 2014 PGA Championship to find the last time Rory contended on Sunday in a major. He's had some backdoor top-5s when he was out of contention, but Rory has not sniffed a major in a long time. All this talk about "When Rory has his A-game." His present day A-game is what it is. He's a great ball striker and an average putter at best, and therefore, what we see is what we get. His "A-game from 2014" is in the past.

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Pretty much on target.  Nothing says he can't put together a week like that again, he likely will, more than once.  But I think any thought of him winning like 3-4 majors in the span of a couple years seems highly unlikely.  

Jordan can be a little streaky as evidence by some bad, questionable missed cuts, but there is nobody else in the game like him.  His grit, determination and ability to seemingly dig himself a massive hole and immediately climb right back out of it as if he meant to do it... I don't see Rory being able to do such things.  

[Groucho Valentine]

  On 7/27/2017 at 8:26 PM, ChrisP said:

He hasn't had "one of those runs" in almost three years now. You have to go back to the 2014 PGA Championship to find the last time Rory contended on Sunday in a major. He's had some backdoor top-5s when he was out of contention, but Rory has not sniffed a major in a long time. All this talk about "When Rory has his A-game." His present day A-game is what it is. He's a great ball striker and an average putter at best, and therefore, what we see is what we get. His "A-game from 2014" is in the past.

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I agree he is an average to even poor putter and thats the major hole in his game. But he was charging at Birkdale until some mistakes on the back 9. I would say he was in contention there. Its way too early to write him off like that. Don't even think he's 30 yet. 

[rehmwa]

so - consensus is something along the lines of

Jordan is more likely to win more.

Rory not as much, but when he does, it's more likely to be a blowout.

 

both are good enough that it's likely either will happen during a Major - hopefully their 4th one.

[ChrisP]

  On 7/28/2017 at 12:55 PM, Groucho Valentine said:

I agree he is an average to even poor putter and thats the major hole in his game. But he was charging at Birkdale until some mistakes on the back 9. I would say he was in contention there. Its way too early to write him off like that. Don't even think he's 30 yet. 

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I hope you're right. I like Rory. I am a Rory fan....I think Rory and Jordan are great for the game and a rivalry between those two would elevate the game a lot. But we're not there right now. I think Jordan is more consistent, just not in how often he contends, but his overall game. Is there a weakness in Jordan's game? Maybe his driver can get a little erratic, but nowadays, what tournaments have penal rough where you can't advance it to the green? If he misses it, he knows where to miss it (i.e. the British Open). And when he gets it on or around the green, he's good at getting it in the hole. I would argue the only time he doesn't play well is when he has a big lead, and even then, as soon as he loses that lead, he turns it on.

The PGA has the potential to be great, though, because if there's any major where Rory can find his best game, it's Quail Hollow, a course he's had a lot of success on. And with DJ starting to play better, it's a course Fowler's had good success on and Jordan's play right now, we could have a great PGA Championship.

Edited July 28, 2017 by ChrisP

[dbuck]

I would give Jordan about even odds of doing it this year.  Hopefully, Rory will follow soon. I feel they are both good for the game, and hope their success continues.

[Mr. Desmond]

Rory was married recently and just fired his caddie. Too many changes.

[rehmwa]

Still - in pretty good company - even if you move the 3 up to the grand slam list for winning a 4th 'major' from their era.....  I know the list must be somewhere else,....

 

Just for completeness - Grand Slammers - Bobby Jones (equivalent pre-Masters), Jack and Tiger (3 times each), Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Gene Salazen.

[DeadMan]

Interesting article on this: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/will-the-pga-championship-be-jordan-spieths-great-white-whale/

Getting a career grand slam is really hard. Tom Watson and Arnie made a combined 38 cuts at the PGA with a chance to win the career grand slam and never got it done. Even though I can't fathom how given their talent and age, that history says it's very possible neither Rory nor Spieth get the career grand slam.