Can McIllroy be considered "great"

charlieharper

I have my doubts. It must be taken into account that he has only won 3 times & he never contested the Open or USPGA. When Tiger Woods was his age he was winning all round him & running away with the money lists but McIllroy is hardly doing this.

Do ye think he can become great & record 50+ career victory's?

Tones69

Anyone whos won a major at 22 has to be conisdered great imo, that was probably the finest 4 rounds of golf ive ever seen

stockdam

He's only young so to call him great at this stage is too early. However he's set down a marker and hopefully he'll win many more.

Opics

charlieharper wrote: »

he never contested the Open or USPGA.

Um...yes he has. He was tied for the lead at the USPGA in 2010 with 4 holes to play. Missed out on the playoff by 1 shot. Had a 15 foot putt on 18 to get himself into the playoff. If that's not contending then I don't know what is. He also finished 3rd in the USPGA in 2009 behind Yang and Tiger. Also finished 3rd in the 2010 Open (We all know what happened there)

4 top 3 finishes (Including a win) is nothing to be sniffed at at 22 years of age. Tiger had only 2 top 3s in majors the day he turned 23 (1997 Masters win and 3rd in 1998 Open).

Nuri Sahin

It's always two extremes with people here when it comes to McIlroy on this forum

As for not contesting the Open and PGA Championship...

He finished 3rd in both events last year and was damn close to sneaking into the playoff at PGA, that despite his ball striking especially on the front 9 being all over the place! His scrambling saved him a good bit. Stand to be corrected, but he needed to make birdie to get into the playoff with Kaymer, Johnson and Watson, he made par. I'd consider that

What Stockdam said above is spot on.

mike12

Only time will tell he has won 3 times including a Major, think if he wins 2 majors then he will be great at the moment no.
Mike

Myksyk

He's great. He's not Great.

scrubber72

El LoCo Ade wrote: »

It's always two extremes with people here when it comes to McIlroy on this forum

Irish or British?

leaves and doesnt bother getting coat

foxyboxer

Parallels with Woods' record win at Pebble Beach in 2000 were drawn against Rory's win at Congressional.

But,

Woods went on the destroy the field at St Andrews and also took home the PGA.

danthefan

He's as great as Oosthuizen, Schwartzel, Bradley, etc. at the moment.

He could go on to be a great of the game, yes, but he isn't anywhere near yet.

Claude Harmon

He has won three times - hardly in the all time greats!. Andy North won three times in his career, including 2 US Opens, but not many describe him as one of the greats.

Has the potential to become one of the best, but a bit early to described as "great".

sternpeak

Yep imo i think its too early to consider him great, he is a joy to watch and is a fantastic player when on his game, but i think until he wins a few more majors, he shouldnt be called great :P

Halfprice

+1 on above and also he's starting to go through the Ladies like Tiger did only difference is he's airing it in public.. I think he also needs to keep away from the twitter at times and just focus on the golf more

soundsham

Halfprice wrote: »

+1 on above and also he's starting to go through the Ladies like Tiger did only difference is he's airing it in public.. I think he also needs to keep away from the twitter at times and just focus on the golf more

I think frosties are Grrrrrreeeaat !!!!

blue note

He has the potential to be great. So did Tiger Woods and so did Sergio Garcia. I reckon he'll end up somewhere in the middle, it will be interesting to see who he'll be closer to.

ionadnapokot

"Good player. Not a great player" - John Giles

slave1

great golfer-yes
golfing great-no

MoscowFlyer

This is gonna be a critical point in his career. He was already famous in golfing circles but now he is huge in sporting terms around the world. Can he juggle everything and still compete on the golf course? Lets not forget his private life is now being heavily scrutinized, he seems to be with Caroline Wozniaki so that will just add fuel to the fire.

VW 1

At the minute I think he is a great golfer, lots of potential and the title of an all time great is there to be taken for him. Time will tell whether he will be remembered as one of the greats however, too young to come up with a definitive answer as yet.

Smyth

Tiger was one in a million. He's no Tiger, but I'm sure he'll leave his mark.

The_Kew_Tour

is it just me but he looks to have buffed up a little hitting the weights or whatever?

conno16

the only 'great' players currently playing are woods, big phil and harro
one has to have multiple majors before achieving greatness

blackwhite

conno16 wrote: »

the only 'great' players currently playing are woods, big phil and harro
one has to have multiple majors before achieving greatness

Vijay and Ernie as well. Same number of majors as PH.

JerryHandbag

In 10 years time will be a good time to assess how great he is, when he is in his early/mid 30s, at his peak, and hopefully winning majors left right and centre.

conno16

blackwhite wrote: »

Vijay and Ernie as well. Same number of majors as PH.

vijay and ernie are no longer competitive though
their greatness has been diluted by the years
they are now past greats (in my book)

newport2

VW 1 wrote: »

At the minute I think he is a great golfer, lots of potential and the title of an all time great is there to be taken for him. Time will tell whether he will be remembered as one of the greats however, too young to come up with a definitive answer as yet.

Full agree. He has won his first major at pretty much the same age as Tiger did. It was over two years before Tiger won his second one. Give him a chance!!

Hopefully he will reach his potential and become one of the greats in the future

blackwhite

conno16 wrote: »

vijay and ernie are no longer competitive though
their greatness has been diluted by the years
they are now past greats (in my book)

At the minute they're every bit as competitive as Harrington (sad as it is to say).

Harrington 71 in the world, Vijay 53, Ernie 33.

conno16

harro is about to turn his game around, i can feel it
a proper coach, a proper caddy and a new focus - onwards and upwards
i'm backing him for a 2012 major - bout time too

c'mon harrrro!

The_Kew_Tour

conno16 wrote: »

harro is about to turn his game around, i can feel it
a proper coach, a proper caddy and a new focus - onwards and upwards
i'm backing him for a 2012 major - bout time too

c'mon harrrro!

Actually I agree with you on that bit:o

Kace

ionadnapokot wrote: »

"Good player. Not a great player" - John Giles

I thought that was Eamon Dunphy.



Harrington definitely getting a pep about him. Fedex Cup winner perhaps ?? :cool:

blackwaterfish

charlieharper wrote: »

I have my doubts. It must be taken into account that he has only won 3 times & he never contested the Open or USPGA. When Tiger Woods was his age he was winning all round him & running away with the money lists but McIllroy is hardly doing this.

Do ye think he can become great & record 50+ career victory's?

who cares! Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Put it this way. While youre sitting there giving yourself a headache over such a quandary - rorys over at the us open pile driving himself into the ladies no1 tennis player.

its an ogious waste of braincells..... & time. Have an icecream instead.:)

newport2

blackwaterfish wrote: »

rorys over at the us open pile driving himself into the ladies no1 tennis player.

its an ogious waste of braincells..... & time. Have an icecream instead.:)

Well, maybe a Toblerone instead of an ice-cream, he's in Switzerland playing at the moment

PAULWATSON

not a clue has this fella got.

he's 22, bagged and tagged a major. Destroying the woz on his time off. I'd say he is doing ok.

Hulk Hogan

While I do think that the McIlroy hype went a little overboard after his US Open victory I find it absurd to say that he isn't "great". Is he Tiger Woods? No, but Jesus Christ what other 22 year old in world golf has one major victory and has come very close in the other three??? For the forseeable future I don't see any player dominating in the manner Tiger did circa 2000, but: 1) Tiger circa 2000 in terms of greatness was a match for any athlete in history. He was genuinely on the level of a Muhammad Ali or Pele, and 2) the field is stronger now.

Rory has the guts of another twenty years at the top to come, at the end of the day I expect him to have more wins than Mickelson and the other greats of this era not named Tiger Woods

Freemount09

He didn't beat Lee Westwood in that gong shot on Ant & Dec's new show Red or Black so that is more proof that he can't be considered great atm.