Trading Tiger for Rory?
Woods is presently on 14 majors and counting, McIlroy has four at 25 years of age. Will he pass Woods' mark? Only time will tell
“Tigeresque Rory.” It’s the new phrase in golf. Sounds grotesque.
What does that mean anyway?
Ok, let me give it a shot. Rory McIlroy is making golf look like a walk in the park these days. He’s winning the big ones and doing it with some flair. This phenomenon is a throwback to when Tiger Woods would saunter into a tournament with a glint in his eye and leave four days later with a broad smile, the winner’s cheque in his back pocket and the silverware ensconced in the plush upholstery of his business jet.
There are parallels being drawn between McIlroy’s current form and Woods at his best. Former players, current players, coaches, golf hacks, weekend hackers, all have their take on the subject. To offer a similarity in the Indian context, this would be what the national cricket team is put through on a daily basis—but we don’t want to go there. Having said that, here’s an Indian perspective on the hottest debate in golf.
Yes, McIlroy is on a roll. He has won two (the British Open and the PGA Championship) of the four majors this year and another couple of flagship events, the BMW PGA Championship and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, with some more of these events to go in 2014. He’s now the best golfer on the planet.
It all came together for McIlroy almost immediately after he called off his nuptials with Caroline Wozniacki. The man from Holywood (Northern Ireland) insists there’s no connection between retracting the wedding cards and keeping the ball on the fairway. The timing is purely coincidental, he stresses.
After some wayward driving and tennis-court appearances, McIlroy is back to hitting his tee-ball longer and straighter than anybody else. That helps. I was first introduced to his driving ability a few years ago in the picturesque setting of Crans Montana, nestled in the Swiss Alps. McIlroy almost drove the par-four 17th at the Crans-sur-Sierre, chipped to a couple of feet and made birdie. The polite golfer received polite applause from the few hundred onlookers. Rarefied air, but the hole was 400 yards. A good first shot makes golf less painful.
Even though it’s been 14 years, I clearly recall the sound as club head travelling at breakneck speed met hapless orb of rubber and plastic. It was like a rifle shot. The thousands lined 10ft deep from tee to green roared in appreciation. It was the Johnnie Walker Classic, or more like the Tiger Woods Show, at the Alpine Golf Club on the outskirts of Bangkok. He went about awing those who saw him play a kind of golf they had never seen before. In fact, they had never seen a golfer like him before. Minuscule waist, barn-door chest, rippling muscles, Woods looked more like a 100m dasher. The antithesis of the stereotypical golfer.
Woods’ aura swept past the confines of the golf course. He attracted the adulation of a rock star and the reverence of a head of state. The build-up by his father Earl or Nike, or whatever else it was that contributed to the creation of this super swinger, the bottom line was that Woods backed up the pedestal he was planted on with the brand of golf he played. Be it Bangkok or the US’ Augusta National Golf Club, his presence, his ball-striking and his magical touch around and on the greens electrified the vast multitudes who came to pay obeisance. Men gaped, women turned to mush and children shrieked in delight at the sight of him, and many of them weren’t even golfers.
You would notice that I’m talking in the past tense with regard to Woods. A spate of injuries, the latest being a bad back, and his off-course shenanigans have dented his image (and his black SUV) but such is the reputation built around him that nobody is willing to write him off, not as a golfer. Not yet.
Will McIlroy ever match Woods’ stature? No, he won’t. Woods is presently on 14 majors and counting. The Ulsterman has four at the age of 25. Will he pass Woods’ mark? He does have the golfing calibre to get there but only time will tell.
Now here’s the big question: Of the two, who would you pay to watch? Personally, I hope that day never comes. Being a golf hack may not amount to much but it does allow you free spectator rights. Oh, you persist. What if push comes to shove and I have to pay gate money?
Let me answer this by reverting to an Indian analogy. If I were to buy a ticket to a cricket game, who would I prefer to see bat, Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Gautam Gambhir? Come on, that is a good answer.
Prabhdev Singh is the founding editor of Golf Digest India and a part-time golfer.
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First Published:3 Sep 2014, 09:48 PM IST
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