Golf's Greatest Hope

Toulon · 2021-02-14T11:32:29+00:00

I was thinking of the state of golf and wondered who you think is golf's greatest hope? When I look at the tour I don't see anyone to rally around personali...

Eguller

fatshot because I love the game and enjoy watching the best in the world do what they do.

This. Hard to find another prodigy on the radar at this point or even a 'cool' dude who makes you tune in.

Eguller

Eguller fatshot because I love the game and enjoy watching the best in the world do what they do.

This. Hard to find another prodigy on the radar at this point or even a 'cool' dude who makes you tune in.

Oooops... there is the Champions Tour that has the ''characters'. 😎

garyt1957

I definitely think Bryson fits the mold of "different" and is about as intriguing as a player can get based on how he goes about his business. I'll watch him anytime. Bubba Watson is definitely different but he doesn't seem to be around much or at least not contending. Not a fan. Koepka is another guy I'll watch. Ricky of course has style if not the game to back it up.
There were tons of cookie cutter golfers in the old days too. Tiger will never happen again. Besides being so good he was also the first really great black golfer and the whole media world jumped on that bandwagon. White Tiger doesn't make any noise outside the golf world. Plus you have to add in today's cancel culture and nobody is going to say something that might hurt their brand. There's a reason they're robots in interviews. Look at JT and one stupid mistake. His sponsors dropped him like a rock.

rsvman2

The interesting guys aren't winning. I think Wesley Bryan is interesting. Tommy Gainey was interesting. I like to watch Finau, and he has enough talent to actually win something, but he is a little too laid back to generate that much interest.

fatshot

Eguller Yeah, I know....but for some reason, the Champions Tour hasn't appealed to me since
Arnie retired. Jack never embraced it much, neither did Greg Norman, it remains to be seen whether Phil
will. I seldom watch, unless I know one of the "cool guys" is near the lead. I'd rather watch the LPGA.

scotts33

fatshot I'd rather watch the LPGA.

fatshot has it! 👍

LBlack14

fatshot I'd rather watch the LPGA

Been saying it for years.

Stu1961

I don't think there is player able to hold that title - or will be one, based on dominance - which is, obviously, a huge factor, as it gets your face on TV. No one will care if you have swagger - and you're missing the cut.
I think the Pro game's greatest hope lies with "roll-back". Popularity would benefit, long-term, after the amateurs grumblings subsided (which it would). While being "on" and/or "hot with a putter" any particular week has always been a winning formula ... it's even more so now, to the detriment of overall skill being the primary factor. Equipment improvements have condensed the playing field. Tour rookies are getting younger and younger, and are able to win earlier. The 1960's had first time winners at a 16.82% clip ... the 2010's had it at 28.43% (you would think they would run out of new players!). Tournament scoring during that time also dropped from 275 to 269.8. Even look at the number of sub 60 rounds ... never before 1977, then a second in 1991, and then ten more since 1999.
It would be a scary state for the tour if improvements completely levelled the playing field - and each weeks winner played out like rock-paper-scissors - with luck becoming the primary determinant.

Eguller

Stu1961 It would be a scary state for the tour if improvements completely levelled the playing field - and each weeks winner played out like rock-paper-scissors - with luck becoming the primary determinant.

We're closer than not with parity and luck playing a larger & larger role.
Hole out here, long putts there. Jordan has holed out several times this week and
the long putts are starting to fall. Luck & Skill combined are hard to beat.

Subsonic

The PGA is just a boring watch. At this point it is little more than background noise on the TV. Nothing relatable. Watching the same guys hit the same shots over and over.

I still like the Majors, especially The Open.

Par4QC

Subsonic The PGA is just a boring watch.

I want to see them play a few courses they've never played. And, with no practice rounds. Why should that be anyway? If I were to travel a few 100 miles for a tournament, I would be blind on the 1st tee, and contrary to popular beliefs, I'm no Pro. Let them play some of these 120+ yr. old country club courses around the country, set up as they are daily.

imo, no one will ever dominate the PGA again. There will only be weekly/monthly 'stars', which all will proclaim as 'the next TW'. Not. Gonna. Happen.

fatshot

Par4QC imo, no one will ever dominate the PGA again.

I think there will still be dominant players, but they only come along every generation or so. They will also have to be lucky enough to have 1 or 2 rivals as good as they are to compete against. Jones had Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen. Hogan had Snead and Nelson. Jack had Arnold, then Miller, Weiskopf, Trevino, and Watson. Tiger had Phil, among others. Unfortunately right now, we seem to be in a lull. But I think another super star will come along....it's just a question of "who" and "how long" we'll have to wait to see him emerge.

Par4QC

fatshot but they only come along every generation or so.

TW is in his mid 40's. Time has passed for 'that guy' to show his face. Everyone is jumping on DJ's wagon, but this will pass. I do give him the credit of being 'closest' to the throne, but he'll never be able to keep it up.

From the very beginning of his career, I said Rickie was wayyy over hyped. I've been proven correct a helluva a lot more than not. Even Cobra sees it now; he's no longer 'the face'.

meagain

Take away their greens topographical maps and see how good of putters they would be? Shouldn't be allowed to use them.

Hoss7504

If DJ had a personality more interesting than plain oatmeal, he'd have a shot imo.

mulegolf

Hoss7504
He comes across to me as "Dumb as a box of rocks." He likely isn't but that's the way I see him.

Toulon

Hoss7504

That's just it. That guy is death on toast personality wise. Almost all of them are. I like Koepka, and his story is fascinating. There's just zero charisma.

Tiger just had an aura. You loved to hate him or you loved him. No matter. There was just something there that isn't even registering with any of these guys. Bubba was brought up and he has some of that aura, but he's a fart in the wind on tour.

Golf needs a Happy Gilmore figure, or somebody with a pulse. It's a flat line on an EKG right now. Fun guys surely golf because I see some real characters here.

Hoss7504

mulegolf

I get the same impression

garyt1957

mulegolf I've seen articles saying that's very close to the truth. But he has Paulina and millions of dollars, wish I could be that dumb.

Typhoon

Players like Tiger and Jack are an anomaly. We’re just going to go back to a handful of good players ((Brooks and DJ,) a tier just below them (Hovland , Thomas, Reed)and then everyone else.

Back to the 1980's with Norman, Watson, Stewart... no standouts, just a handful of good players etc...

Spuzz

IMO, one of the things that Tiger showed was the amount of personal sacrifice it took to be dominant.
Golf was 24/7 for him.
I don't believe any of the youngsters are interested in being loners, having broken families or the media dogging them.
There's enough money to be made for one to be comfortable without winning much and little enough stress to allow them to be able to enjoy it. I don't blame any of them either.

LBlack14

Spuzz IMO, one of the things that Tiger showed was the amount of personal sacrifice it took to be dominant.
Golf was 24/7 for him.

🤣🤣🤣

That's funny.

sdandrea1

Spuzz IMO, one of the things that Tiger showed was the amount of personal sacrifice it took to be dominant.
Golf and loose women were 24/7 for him.

Fixed it.

sdandrea1

Toulon

Too bad Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker weren't golf pros.