For the second time in two years, a 23-year-old Anglo-Irish version of Alfred E. Newman crushed a world-class field with a great weekend performance to capture his second major championship. However, Rory McIlroy's performance was no laughing matter to the other 71 golfers playing the weekend at Kiawah Island. He drove it far and mostly straight. When he was in trouble, he got out of it quickly. As for his putting, can you spell "touch"?
The Emerald Isle is emerging as a hotbed of golf talent. Not bad, considering its population base of 6.5 million citizens, about one-third the number of New York City's metropolitan area and one-half of Los Angeles's. Since Padraig Harrington won the British Open in 2007, Irish from Ireland and Anglo-Irish from Northern Ireland have won a total of seven grand slam events. That's seven out of the last twenty-two. Not bad.
Golf was looking and hoping for a new superstar since the gentle decline of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson began. Previous to Kiawah, there had been 16 different winners in 16 consecutive grand slam events. Now there is a recent repeat majors champion. Now there is a new superstar.
Just two months ago, McIlroy was in a minor funk, missing four cuts including the U. S. Open weekend. Critics claimed Rory couldn't focus because of new-found fame, fortune, and a tall blonde world-class Danish tennis player who happened to be his new-found girlfriend. Cut the nonsense. Great golfers with great talent have minor funks. Jack Nicklaus had minor funks. Some even have major funks and disappear for years at a time: Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Greg Norman, Ernie Els. The difference between immortality and also-ran status on the tour is infinitely small.
McIlroy's weekend victory was not small. To the consternation of the excellent CBS broadcasting crew, Rory broke with recent grand slam scenarios by holding onto and increasing his lead as the long day wore on. By the end, he had won by eight strokes--a PGA Championship record--and had Mister Measured of Words, Jim Nantz, exuberantly proclaiming him the new Tiger.
Not only did McIlroy win the physical contest on the course, but he won the psychological battle as well. He said his sponsors gave him the red shirt to wear on Sunday. We'll never know if he had a choice of colors to wear. What we do know is that McIlroy was not intimidated from wearing the color. There he was, wearing red on Sunday, yanking Tiger's chain, moving in on Tiger's turf.
Gradually, Tiger's Nike red shirt, though new, appeared to fade further with every hole played, every fairway missed, and every putt booted. The Tiger flop, a new tradition of major tournaments, was particularly ugly on Saturday. Yet, there was little magic on Sunday, either. He finished the third round two over for the round and tournament. Tiger played even par golf in the fourth round, his great putting of the first two rounds only a memory.
And Mr. Nicklaus celebrates again. His record of 18 major championships is looking more and more untouchable by Woods and his generation. Now Jack will have to pay attention to the new generation, Rory's generation. Does the game and the networks that cover it pray for classic duels, mighty foes worthy to become Rory's regular and admirable adversaries? You bet.
Sixty years ago, there were Hogan, Snead, and Nelson. Fifty years ago, there were Palmer, Player, and Nicklaus. Forty years ago, there were Nicklaus, Player, and Weiskopf. Thirty years ago, there were Nicklaus, Watson, and Floyd. Twenty years ago, there were Faldo, Couples, and Norman. Ten years ago, there were Woods, Mickelson, and Els.
Now, who will join McIlroy in a new power triumvirate? Will they be young players who have already won a major, such as Louis Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson, Graeme McDowell, Webb Simpson, Charl Schwartzel, or Keegan Bradley? Or will they be players who have shown great promise without pocketing a major yet, such as Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, Jason Dufner, Luke Donald, or Ian Poulter?
Nothing is certain. We won't know more until next April and Augusta. Yes, there are FedEx playoffs and a Ryder Cup match in the meantime. However. golf purists know real greatness is defined by majors, the four grand slam events played once a year. Everything else is just window dressing, made-for-TV drama.
Perhaps I misspoke. One thing is now certain: the first leg of the new golf superstar tripod. Unless Rory has a Payne Stewart moment in the near future, he is virtually assured of making the Hall of Fame. Will Alfred E. O'Newman provide a ratings spark and create a new world-wide golf boom as Tiger did fifteen years ago? Time will tell.
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