British Open Thread

[JWags85]

To add Rickie is a top 10 machine, guy just can't win. If we didn't value wins so much, lots of players would love his career.

For fun, look at Rickie as a comparison to Phil.  At this stage in their career, 9 seasons on Tour, Rickie has 9 Major Top 10s, Phil had 14.  However, if you look at Top 5s...all of Rickie's 9 are actually Top 5s, whereas Phil only had 6 at the same stage in the career.

Phil was also a much more accomplished amateur golfer, turned pro older (He was 31 in his 9th season, Rickie is 29, they actually would be tied at 9 at age 29), and played on a much less competitive PGA tour.

So lot of time for Rickie to change his whole legacy profoundly like Phil did.

If you gave me the choice of Tiger winning 2 more majors, or Rory AND Spieth both tying Arnie/Snead at 7 majors (4 and 3 currently, respectively)...I'll take the latter

[GGGG]

Today's 42 isn't what it was in Nicklaus' day. These guys are physical. They train hard. They aren't fat. They don't smoke. The top pros have personal trainers, personal chiropractors, personal masseuses. They travel in luxury.

And so do the younger guys. 

[mu03eng]

Jordan Spieth won the 2017 Open Championship. He finished top 30 at the 2017 PGA. He finished third in the 2018 Masters. He missed the cut at the 2018 US Open. He finished ninth at the 2018 Open Championship. There are, literally, hundreds and hundreds of professional golfers who would sell their soul for this kind of inconsistency.

Rory McIlroy is 29 with four majors amongst his 20-odd tournament titles, a multiple Ryder Cup champion, has been player of the year in both America and Europe, and has won the money title in both America and Europe. There are, literally, thousands and thousands of professional golfers who would sell their soul for this kind of substance-less career.

Don't disagree at all about the career.....very good to great career. I speaking merely from a casual viewing public who by and large are only going to tune in for stars and the majors. The fact that Rory has missed the cut in at least one major each of the last three seasons represents inconsistency for the casual fan. What I mean by consistency is in contention on Sundays, no missed cuts for majors, win 3 non-majors, and 1 major a season.....that is dominant for the casual fan.

Just to be clear, you and I know they are great golfers, but the general public doesn't recognize it compared to the Tiger dominance of the 90s and early 2000s.....which, quite frankly, where most of the casual fans came from in the first place.

[GGGG]

Between the 1963 British Open and the 1985 US Open, Jack Nicklaus missed two cuts in majors.  He also missed the 1983 Masters due to injury.

[MU82]

And so do the younger guys.

Nobody said any different.