In a blink of an eye the identity of golf completely changed. Not too long ago the PGA TOUR was carried by big name veterans — primarily Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods; but now there’s a new wave of young golfers stealing the headlines.
When McIlroy won his first major at the 2011 U.S. Open, many fans expected years of heated competitions between the newcomer and all-time great, Tiger Woods. Unfortunately, McIlroy battled with inconsistency, and Woods hasn’t won a major since 2008. It wasn’t until this spring that golf finally found new life.
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Instead of fans clinging to the past, and tuning in just to watch Woods and Mickelson try to avoid cuts, they received something much better: A prodigy. Jordan Spieth exploded onto the golf scene and instantly became must-watch television. At 21-years-old, Spieth won both the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open and finished in the top five in all four majors.
While Woods is still going to garner a huge amount of attention, Spieth and McIlroy have given fans a new flavor. Two young prodigies, both with multiple major victories, battling for the honor of being ranked the world’s number one golfer.
And just when golf fans thought they had it all, Jason Day had his coming out party and won his first career major at the 2015 PGA Championship. Day is slightly older than both Spieth and McIlroy, but at 27 years old, his career is just beginning. Seemingly out of nowhere, this newcomer became a golfing star. From late July to the end of August, Day went on a complete tear, winning the RBC Canadian Open, the PGA Championship and the Barclays.
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And just like that, the PGA had three young stars grabbing headlines and bringing fans to their televisions. No longer are fans flocking to their TV’s desperately hoping for Woods and/or Mickelson to show glimpses of their former selves. Instead of living in the past, golf finally has a future.
Right now, the top three golfers in the world are Day, McIlroy and Spieth, all of them twenty-somethings. Spieth is barely old enough to legally drink.
But the good news doesn’t stop there; 26-year-old Rickie Fowler seems to be on the verge of becoming a star as well. He hasn’t done any real winning in his career, but he had an impressive summer and is currently the fifth ranked golfer in the world.
For the first time since Woods first broke out in the late 90’s, golf fans are becoming spoiled with talented up-and-comers. Nobody knows if Woods or Mickelson will ever win another major, but maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s time to forget the stars of old, and look forward to a brighter future.
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