Well that was fun wasn’t it? Finally a major championship that was worth watching. The best golfer of this generation (Rory Mcilory), the 2nd best golfer of the previous generation (Phil Mickelson), the best American golfer under the age of 30 (Rickie Fowler), and one of the best European players (Henrik Stenson) in the world all battling it out in an epic PGA Championship. Each year the PGA Championship fights the moniker of being the “fourth major” literally and figuratively. This year it was the most compelling tournament o f 2014.
Rory Mcilory is now in that rarefied Jack Nicklaus Tiger Woods air, as the only golfers in history to win 4 majors by the age of 25. He’s won 3 tournaments in a row against elite fields. He got pushed today and responded. What more can you say? Jack Nicklaus may be right Rory Mcilory might win 15-20 majors in his year. Mcilory just won one the best majors in history. He goes goes for the career grand slam next year at Augusta. It’s the Mcilory era now.
- Phil Mickelson proved his Hall of Fame worth. At 44 years young, Mickelson can still play some spectacular golf. I think over the final 3 days, he outplayed even Mcilory, but it wan’t enough to overcome the young phenom. In his last 5 majors, Mickeson has a win and solo second. You think he’s done being a major tournament contender? Forget it, Mickelson definitely has a few more runs in him, and I believe he’ll get that 6th major title. He was electric today.
- If Phil is a young 44, Tiger is an old 39. Wow… The Woods era is officially over. Well it’s been over for quite some time, but with Mcilory’s ascension, Mickelson still winning and contending in majors, and Woods’s back a wreck, Tiger’s run at Jack is done kaput. He’ll get healthy and get in major contention eventually, but I used to think he had 2 more majors in him, now I don’t think he’ll even win one more. Tom Watson will likely leave Wodds off the Ryder Cup team.
- Remember when we though Sergio Garcia would challenge Tiger Woods for years. It never quite happened. Mcilory’s future rival appears the young American Rickie Fowler. Fowler also join some rarefied Tiger Woods Jack Nicklaus air. He joined Woods and Nicklaus as the only golfers in history to finish in the top 5 of all 5 majors in the same season. Fowler has the charisma and the ability to have some great battles for years to come with Mcilory. He’s just now starting to reach his potential under the tutelage of Butch Harmon. Harmon also coaches Phil Mickelson. They finished in the top 3. He used to coach Tiger Woods. He missed the cut.
- How about a couple of other somethings Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker finishing in the top 10? That’s golf’s greatest asset, that players more than 25 years apart in age from different generations all have a chance to win on the biggest stage.
- Poor Adam Scott the former world number 1, 4 top 15 finishes in the majors. T15 this weekend, and he never really was in contention. He’s one of the world’s best players, but now he’s got to contend with Mcilory as the rest of the tour does too.
- Can we do that PGA Championship again? For me that’s the end of the golf season. I know there’s the Ryder Cup, but I’ll see you at Masters. I think we should it on that great tournament.
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