The Official Golf Thread

[trailer]

Why can't Harry Diamond be a brilliant Caddie? Because he's Rory's mate? Harry is a pretty good golfer himself. I'd say he's qualified as a Caddie. Some of you seem to think that there is some sort of Caddie school that Rory needs to select his bag man from.

[thewobbler]

It's just people overthinking things.

For some people a caddy is a punch bag. For some he is their eyes. For some he's a failsafe on yardages, rather than the go-to. For some he's a companion. For some he's a coach. For some he's a slave.

Westwood having his missus with him works for him because he doesn't want coaching or direction. Whereas De Chambeau's scientific approach to the sport means he needs a human computer alongside him doing yardages and reads.

It's each to their own. It really is.

[JohnDenver]

Couldn't give a shite about McIlroy - but isn't Westwood's caddie his girlfriend? Hasn't seemed to do him any harm recently.

[Mikhail Prokhorov]

mcilroy won't win anything without a caddy, his head is a mess

players championship nxt week 

Who's the defending champ? Who is his caddy?

Matsuyama is defending champ 

[Tatler Jack]

Don't think a caddy is the main problem McIlroy has. Over the past few years he has been very poor with his short irons. - great drive and then from 100-150 yards he misses the green, comes up short and if he does hit the green is 20+ feet from the pin. After is first round on Thursday he birdied one par 4 in the remaining 3 rounds and rarely was inside 15 feet. Same with par 3s and indeed only he scrambled well on Friday and Saturday he would have been totally out of contention by Sunday. His problems with short irons are not down to his caddy it seems he is a poor amd inconsistent iron player and getting worse. If he cant improve this area of his game he will win very little.

[trailer]

Rory McIlroy is one of the best golfers on the planet. He consistently contends. We're always on here talking about how he didn't win on a Sunday from being in the Top 5 or 10. This is golf. It is so difficult to win any tournament never mind every week. To actually be contending so regularly is incredible. Leaving aside Tiger and maybe Jack, McIlroy is in the top 10 golfers EVER! You lot are talking complete shite about his caddie and inconsistent iron play.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

McIlroy is in the top 10 golfers EVER!

Behave

[Tatler Jack]

Rory McIlroy is one of the best golfers on the planet. He consistently contends. We're always on here talking about how he didn't win on a Sunday from being in the Top 5 or 10. This is golf. It is so difficult to win any tournament never mind every week. To actually be contending so regularly is incredible. Leaving aside Tiger and maybe Jack, McIlroy is in the top 10 golfers EVER! You lot are talking complete shite about his caddie and inconsistent iron play.

McIlroy is a very good player and I think is in the top 3 in terms of wins over the past 5 or 6 years. And I agree it is difficult to win in golf especially as more and more good players come on the scene. But you can hardly deny that his short iron play is average at best over the past couple of years and reduces his chances of winning. As I said he gave him himself very few bride chances after the first round this weekend mainly due to not taking advantage of his good drives. I like McIlroy and would love to see him win more but he won't unless his iron play becomes more consistent. My opinion for what it's worth - not every opinion you don't like is shiite!

[Orior]

Rory McIlroy is one of the best golfers on the planet. He consistently contends. We're always on here talking about how he didn't win on a Sunday from being in the Top 5 or 10. This is golf. It is so difficult to win any tournament never mind every week. To actually be contending so regularly is incredible. Leaving aside Tiger and maybe Jack, McIlroy is in the top 10 golfers EVER! You lot are talking complete shite about his caddie and inconsistent iron play.

McIlroy is a very good player and I think is in the top 3 in terms of wins over the past 5 or 6 years. And I agree it is difficult to win in golf especially as more and more good players come on the scene. But you can hardly deny that his short iron play is average at best over the past couple of years and reduces his chances of winning. As I said he gave him himself very few bride chances after the first round this weekend mainly due to not taking advantage of his good drives. I like McIlroy and would love to see him win more but he won't unless his iron play becomes more consistent. My opinion for what it's worth - not every opinion you don't like is shiite!

I think sometimes he has too much choice about shot selection. Lessor golfers will either draw or fade. He can do both very well and therefore he uses both and therefore he is always playing different types of shots. As the lessor golfer is more limited he then practices that type of shot more often than Rory.

[JimStynes]

McIlroy will will need to a win another major or 2 in the second half of his career to get talked about being in the top 10 best ever. He's like the good minor player who was unreal up until about 23 and then hit the drink and went backwards in the latter part of his career. But people on here making him out to be crap and a failure are talking pure shite. He's always there or thereabouts. Golf is a weird sport and wins don't come that handy in the majors. There's only a handful with more than 5 major wins in the whole history of golf. Faldo has 6 or 7 I think so he has to be above Rory in the all time great list. His failure to be an Irish flag waving champion doesn't sit well with people in here either.

[Estimator]

McIlroy will will need to a win another major or 2 in the second half of his career to get talked about being in the top 10 best ever. He's like the good minor player who was unreal up until about 23 and then hit the drink and went backwards in the latter part of his career. But people on here making him out to be crap and a failure are talking pure shite. He's always there or thereabouts. Golf is a weird sport and wins don't come that handy in the majors. There's only a handful with more than 5 major wins in the whole history of golf. Faldo has 6 or 7 I think so he has to be above Rory in the all time great list. His failure to be an Irish flag waving champion doesn't sit well with people in here either.

It's certainly going to tough for Rory. When you look at the likes of Seve, Faldo, Big Phil + Tom Watson, who all have more than McIlroy, their Major victories were within an 8/9year span. Very few (aside from the legends) go into double figures between their first and their last major victory.

[screenexile]

I remember an interview with him and Harrington and Harrington told him if he finishes his career with 4 Majors it will have been a failure!!

I wouldn't be too worried though remember DJ was only the age McIlroy is now when he won his first so there is a load of time for McIlroy as long as he steers clear of injury. Also he hasn't totally lost it he's just been at 85% for a while so it wouldn't take much for him to get to his best and if he does how many others will be playing at their top level to beat him?

I'd say it's frustrating but there's a long way to go in the race!

[Applesisapples]

McIlroy a bit like DeChambeau relies on hitting it long, but as both show they only win when they get their Irons and flatstick working.

[Hound]

Going with small ew bets on Fleetwood and Day for the Players.
But I think Rory to lead after R1 at 28/1 is a decent ew bet too (8 places).

[CitySlicker11]

McIlroy +7 after 9