This past Sunday I had the final round of the US Open on as background noise while I constructed my third successful piece of IKEA furniture. Watching Rory McIlroy defend a huge lead going into the final round was not high on my priority list, but lucky for him and golf, there is little else in the sports world that can be classified as exciting (I'll admit, the US/Jamaica Gold Cup game slipped my mind...no excuses). I stuck around for the first few holes to see if he may give a few shots to the field (Masters Part II?), and then peeked back towards the end, because its always somewhat inspiring to see an athlete or team reach a coveted goal.
Not only was Rory handed his prestigious trophy, but he was also given countless accolades and a weight-vest stuffed with golf's expectations for the next decade. For his performance, the compliments were well-deserved. He dominated a field of the world's best and made it look easy. However, after the 237th person labeled him as "Golf's Next Superstar", and "The Next Tiger," I started rolling my eyes.
My goal here is not to be a giant buzz-kill. Does he have boatloads of talent? Yes. Maturity beyond his years? Sure seems like it. Let's pump the brakes though, people. I am of the belief that we are still suffering from a Post-Tiger Hangover. We want to find some reason, any reason, to make golf relevant again, and Rory McIlroy fits our criteria, even if he isn't anything close to the next Tiger Woods. Some simple facts first. Tiger made his first big mark at the 1997 Masters, winning by 12 strokes. Sounds very similar to Rory's 2011 US Open victory, yes? The ratings for Tiger Woods' Sunday, victory-lap final round that year were 14.1% of U.S. households - a record. Rory's final round, which catapulted him into supposed "super-stardom," drew ratings of....wait for it...5.1%. In fact, this year's ratings compared to 2010's US Open final round dropped 26% (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-20/tv-ratings-for-rory-mcilroy-s-record-u-s-open-golf-final-round-fall-35-.html).
I certainly don't want to suggest that TV ratings have anything to do with an athlete's talent, but this hardly has the look and feel of golf's next transcendent figure. We act like this kid is a phenomenon when his historic performance attracted fewer people than a Hawaii Five-0 episode. The fact is, Rory played amazing golf against a subpar field, on a course that was playing way too easy. Yes, everyone has to play with the same conditions, but this course didn't measure up as a true, major championship test. My main point is this: We don't like Rory nearly as much as we say we do. Its like that person you start dating after breaking up with someone you REALLY liked, even loved. You can keep telling yourself you're into it, but you know its not going anywhere. Even if his talent is comparable to Tiger's at 22, the interest he is generating is half of that. Sorry Rory.
There is another point that I would like to make. Those of you that start to follow my blog consistently will see a theme with many of my posts. I am of the opinion that we are severely impatient as sports fans in this country. The popular media can be categorized as ABSURDLY impatient. We owe it to up-and-comers like Rory not to put the weight of the world on their shoulders the second they see success. After watching Rory handle himself with class after the Masters, and throughout this week, its clear that this kid 'gets it.' He seems to have a genuine passion for the game, respect for golf's history, and humility. That can't be said for most 22 year-old athletes these days, let alone a rising star in his/her sport. Let's save the Tiger & Nicklaus comparisons for another day.
Hopefully Rory proves me wrong and validates this level of hype - I think he has the skill and mindset to eventually do so. If Rory finishes his career with a couple of majors under his belt and is able to maintain the character and dignity he has shown thus far, we should be content with that, and feel fortunate that he stayed a positive role model.
The pressure is on, Rory. You don't have to win 19 majors to impress me; just don't punch your girlfriend, take steroids, start a dog-fighting ring, commit manslaughter when driving drunk, or tweet your genitals to the entire planet. I don't think its too much to ask...
Even as quick as so many are to deem him the next possible tiger, are too many people uninterested simply for the fact he's not American? You think the next "tiger" has to be American or do we just want a replacement regardless?
ReplyDeleteI ask because I believe he only has his European players card or whatever it is, not the American one, so we will only see him nationally a limited number of times. Also, we will be rooting against him with some regularity because of tournaments like the Ryder cup where he'll obviously be playing against the U.S.
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