DJ Era?

[Cool Hand Luke]

on top of his physical gifts, it can't hurt having #99 in your ear too... just sayin... I wonder how much that has played into his recent success.

 

how about the genes his sons are going to inherit geez... one of them might be the next ONE.

[noahdavis_7]

on top of his physical gifts, it can't hurt having #99 in your ear too... just sayin... I wonder how much that has played into his recent success.

 

how about the genes his sons are going to inherit geez... one of them might be the next ONE.

 

LOL you ain't lyin. Not only genes but imagine the $$... Lucky kids! Hell, lucky kids anyway. What a family

[Shawn Paul]

I wonder if those hats are going to make his ears stay like that 4ever.

[Cool Hand Luke]

I'll agree. Except more majors. I see DJ with about 5 to 8 by the end of his career

 

Curious then, how many do you see Rory, Spieth and Day ending up with?

[noahdavis_7]

I'll agree. Except more majors. I see DJ with about 5 to 8 by the end of his career

 

Curious then, how many do you see Rory, Spieth and Day ending up with?

 

I think Rory will have similar numbers, maybe more majors and wins bc he won at an earlier age. Spieth I can see around 5 or so majors with thirty something wins. DJ 5 to 8 with 40 wins , Rory 10-12 Majors 50 wins

 

Rory will most likely end up with the best career of those three. Like I previously stated, that young start plus his potential gets him there.

 

I understand Jordan also got a young start, however I don't see him maintaining levels that high on a consistent basis.

[bscinstnct]

It's all about attitude, desire and passion. The reason Tiger Woods was able to stay at the top for so very long (aside from his amazing talent) was his desire and commitment. He had a raging fire burning within him.

 

As talented as guys like Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are, they just don't have the fire and intensity that Tiger had. Spieth comes the closest, but even he is far off.

 

If Dustin Johnson has discovered a deep passion, he could be at the top for a long time. But it's hard to tell exactly where his head and heart are. We'll just have to watch and find out.

 

DJs gift seems to be his *lack* of intensity.

 

It's almost like he's like, ok, guess I'll go play golf, that's fun. And then he kills everyone without getting all hyped up. Rofl!

 

Of course,

 

The "XX Era" thread is usually the kiss of death so watch him MC now ; )

[Burt Chance]

I'll agree. Except more majors. I see DJ with about 5 to 8 by the end of his career

 

Curious then, how many do you see Rory, Spieth and Day ending up with?

 

I think Rory will have similar numbers, maybe more majors and wins bc he won at an earlier age. Spieth I can see around 5 or so majors with thirty something wins. DJ 5 to 8 with 40 wins , Rory 10-12 Majors 50 wins

 

Rory will most likely end up with the best career of those three.

 

I agree with all of this. Rory's major total may be a little high though. I think he ends up with about 8, Spieth 3-4 and DJ around 6.

[cdnglf]

I'll agree. Except more majors. I see DJ with about 5 to 8 by the end of his career

 

Curious then, how many do you see Rory, Spieth and Day ending up with?

 

I think Rory will have similar numbers, maybe more majors and wins bc he won at an earlier age. Spieth I can see around 5 or so majors with thirty something wins. DJ 5 to 8 with 40 wins , Rory 10-12 Majors 50 wins

 

Rory will most likely end up with the best career of those three. Like I previously stated, that young start plus his potential gets him there.

 

I understand Jordan also got a young start, however I don't see him maintaining levels that high on a consistent basis.

 

 

You do realize that DJ is 9 years older than Spieth, right?

[Tgstan]

RE: the mental game, it's tough to rattle a guy with rocks in his head.

[noahdavis_7]

I'll agree. Except more majors. I see DJ with about 5 to 8 by the end of his career

 

Curious then, how many do you see Rory, Spieth and Day ending up with?

 

I think Rory will have similar numbers, maybe more majors and wins bc he won at an earlier age. Spieth I can see around 5 or so majors with thirty something wins. DJ 5 to 8 with 40 wins , Rory 10-12 Majors 50 wins

 

Rory will most likely end up with the best career of those three. Like I previously stated, that young start plus his potential gets him there.

 

I understand Jordan also got a young start, however I don't see him maintaining levels that high on a consistent basis.

 

 

You do realize that DJ is 9 years older than Spieth, right?

 

Yes I'm aware. DJ best is better and he's more consistent

 

[widow-maker]

It's more like a mini era. Two to three years of top level golf. Very few come along and have an actual decade where they dominate. Jack and Tiger are obvious. Arnie and Watson came close and they both overlapped Jack. So, you can have multiple guys have success at the same time.

 

DJ needs to win some more majors if he wants to recognized with elite status. He's more like Adam Scott at the moment. The time is now for DJ. He needs to start stringing them together like Phil did in his 30's.

[ctmason_98]

DJ definitely has the skills and the game to hold on to the #1 spot for a while. I'm not sure he has the mental toughness to hang on week after week, but I hope he proves me wrong. It will be interesting to watch.

 

If Luke Donald can hold on to it for 50+ weeks, I think DJ will do just fine.

 

Donald's an easy target sure, but let us all be fair. There have been a handful of golfers who have had a better run than Luke Donald did through 2011 and into summer of 2012.

[cardoza]

It's always interesting to me how little love Spieth gets in these threads... I agree that he might not have the firepower of guys like DJ or Rory, but I think that mentally he's one of the strongest guys out there. In 2015 he put together an incredible second half of the season with all of the golf world looking at him because of what he had done earlier in the year. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jordan get to double digit majors simply because he's not afraid of the big stage, I would even argue that he thrives on it.

 

Let's also not discount the fact that he has 36 more majors to play in before he is DJ's current age. I'd be willing to bet that he picks a few of those up.

[RickyA12]

Back to back wins for world number one.

Wining without full A game.

Dominating when the A game is on.....

 

Could this be a dominating run for DJ at the top? What do you guys think? Can a player "dominate" in today's game?

 

Personally I think that when he putts even at an average level for him he's tough, but when he's on with the short stick everyone else is playing for second.

 

Discuss!

He has the talent to dominate for a while. An "era"? Highly unlikely. Is he motivated to keep working? During those hot summer months I'm sure he'd rather snort a line off of Paulina's chest rather than to go practice. Just depends on weather or not he's willing to make the sacrifices.

 

I thought we were still in the Rory era. Or was it the Spieth era?

[lowheel]

Back to back wins for world number one.

Wining without full A game.

Dominating when the A game is on.....

 

Could this be a dominating run for DJ at the top? What do you guys think? Can a player "dominate" in today's game?

 

Personally I think that when he putts even at an average level for him he's tough, but when he's on with the short stick everyone else is playing for second.

 

Discuss!

He has the talent to dominate for a while. An "era"? Highly unlikely. Is he motivated to keep working? During those hot summer months I'm sure he'd rather snort a line off of Paulina's chest rather than to go practice. Just depends on weather or not he's willing to make the sacrifices.

 

I thought we were still in the Rory era. Or was it the Spieth era?

 

Holy s***!

[Guia]

I don't think he will dominate. Too many who can shoot low scores consistently; Rory, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rahm, Jason Day, all have great strengths. When Rory is on I don't think I have ever seen a better driver of the ball.

[justwellsy]

This may sound stupid to some, but I truly think the best time to start this thread is when DJ wins for the 4th time in 2017. Winning multiple times in a year is tough to do, but to truly dominate I feel like you've got to have at least 2 more wins than the next closest person. Justin Thomas has already won 3 times this season, but if he doesn't win for the remainder of the season, it will largely be considered a hot streak and you can probably say the same for Matsuyama. If one of those 4 wins is a major for DJ (or 2 majors total, regardless of other wins) then I think you can place him even higher.

 

My prediction? I think he wins 5 times this year (3 more times) and repeats at the US Open.

[Rweaves6]

Back to back wins for world number one.

Wining without full A game.

Dominating when the A game is on.....

 

Could this be a dominating run for DJ at the top? What do you guys think? Can a player "dominate" in today's game?

 

Personally I think that when he putts even at an average level for him he's tough, but when he's on with the short stick everyone else is playing for second.

 

Discuss!

 

I think there are too many guys capable of winning each week to have one player dominate an "era".

 

DJ,Day, Rory, Spieth, etc are all too good when playing well for one person to race past the group.

That is what they thought 20 years ago. Someone will come around that dominates the era. Might not be even a teenager yet but there will be another imo.

 

I agree. Wait until some 17 year old contends in a major after winning the US Am 4 years in a row or something to that effect. May seem crazy now but look at what Tiger and Jack accomplished as juniors. Someone will eventually come along who will truly dominate and you'll be able to follow that dominance from a young age.

 

The difference is these guys will have multiple runs in their career where they dominate for a month or two. Jack, Tiger, and the next one will have multiple runs where they dominate the majors for a few years at a time.

[Guia]

I believe that some players have very hot streaks for about a 5 - 6 year period; Miller, Watson, Trevino, Strange, Mac, (I might even put Hogan in this group) and a few others. No others in modern history have excelled as long as Nicklaus and Tiger. Of the current golfers who are hot, I think only Rory has the game to be a long time winner and make a career for others to strive for.

[whr]

OP, you sound like DJ's PR guy. Do you work for him or TaylorMade? (kidding)

[mosesgolf]

Jason Day era - we hardly knew ya. Coming next month, the Jon Rahm era. Catch the fever!

Same goes for Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, et al. It's a revolving door of #1s. It's hard to stay at the top and maintain that kind of play over a long period of time. Hope it lasts. DJ is playing some magnificent golf.

[farmer]

DJ is 32, with one major. To get to the Watson-Trevino level, he's going to have to win one major every year until he's 40, plus 20 or so regular events. Don't think he will do that. Rory or Jordan might get to those numbers, due to the age where they started winning. Ricky, ugly, ugly comment, out of place.

[Rweaves6]

With today's technology of instant video feedback, launch monitors, and physical conditioning I don't think we will ever see another Tiger or Jack.

 

I believe we will see some very competitive rivalries but no single player will pull away from the pack to dominate the sport.

 

You never know, history says otherwise. Someone will come along and rewrite all the rules. Who knows some kid who has a homemade green and practise area in his backyard may grow up chipping and putting all day, every day for years and become the greatest short game wizard ever. Who knows, the possibilities are endless, but you watch, something special will come along one day. There'll always be another.

[PGArox]

It's always interesting to me how little love Spieth gets in these threads... I agree that he might not have the firepower of guys like DJ or Rory, but I think that mentally he's one of the strongest guys out there. In 2015 he put together an incredible second half of the season with all of the golf world looking at him because of what he had done earlier in the year. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jordan get to double digit majors simply because he's not afraid of the big stage, I would even argue that he thrives on it.

 

Let's also not discount the fact that he has 36 more majors to play in before he is DJ's current age. I'd be willing to bet that he picks a few of those up.

 

Not only is Jordan the youngest of the bunch, he also has had the biggest year. Looking at these guys long term, Jordan figures to have the greatest career. He's the only one of the bunch I can envision staying near the top until he's 50.

[coco78]

I agree with the mental power DJ possesses he does not get phased like the rest of the Top 5 players. Look at Saturday on 16th, ball stuck in tree, holes long putt for bogey and his ball drops from the tree. Still recovers well and puts it to back of his mind.

Over the last few seasons DJ has stepped up his game in many areas and I agree he is a step ahead of all the Top 5. Now it is their time to learn and adapt, catch-up and take the fight to DJ.

Do you not think Rory coming back from injury, finished his round on Sunday playing with DJ and said to Michael, right now lets get to work!?

Bet JT has learned from some of his "fiery" antics and will step it up.

IMO this is what we all need... The top 10 where all wining though no one was ever pressing the rest of recent and saying "this is what I can do, can you do better"?

I hope for a fantastic and close 2017 where we see the elite at their best, playing in final 2 groups on Sunday and bringing golf back to being a dog eat dog game :)

We all compare the Tiger Era as per his dominance was well, dominating. I appreciate the game and players have changed, though what I miss is the look and ruthlessness Tiger would show when head to head with someone. No bum patting, no high 5s to playing partners, it was pure aggression and focus towards winning.

If the current elite can bring the stare downs and killer instinct but remain a nice person to play your final round Sunday with then hats off to them.

But I think to be elite and step up their games to dominate they need to get Tiger focused.

Bring on 2017 :)

[RagingPlatypus]

With today's technology of instant video feedback, launch monitors, and physical conditioning I don't think we will ever see another Tiger or Jack.

 

I believe we will see some very competitive rivalries but no single player will pull away from the pack to dominate the sport.

 

You never know, history says otherwise. Someone will come along and rewrite all the rules. Who knows some kid who has a homemade green and practise area in his backyard may grow up chipping and putting all day, every day for years and become the greatest short game wizard ever. Who knows, the possibilities are endless, but you watch, something special will come along one day. There'll always be another.

 

My point is that at no time in history has it been easier to get better. With access to videos and modern training you don't have to be a good player with access to a Harvey Pennick, everyone has access to any number of teaching pros anytime they want.

 

It will be far more difficult for a player to separate themselves from the pack because there will be more players at that same elite level.

[Dave230]

There's no player obviously much better than the other at the moment but if it's anyone's era, it's still the McIlroy era until the others win more majors. If you add Johnson, Day and Spieth's majors together, you get McIlroy's major total.

 

Johnson may have beaten McIlroy well this week playing together, but McIlroy beat him well at the Tour Championship.

[cagecitizen]

As a physical specimen, Dustin is a freak of nature and a great golfing talent overall. But I think we have to appreciate just how hard professional golf actually is, week in, week out. There's so much parity in the game now, that you almost can't handcuff a tournament and say it's a lock that someone in the top 10 official world golf ranking is going to win on a consistent basis.

 

I think DJ hangs on to number one this year, maybe his run extends well into next season. But at some point, another gifted player will get hot (like Spieth did, like Day did) and they'll close the gap.

 

Besides, actual eras in men's golf - there have been very few.

• Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen
  
• Hogan, Nelson, Snead (with a slight nod to Hogan given just how dominant he was post car crash)
  
• Palmer
  
• Nicklaus
  
• Watson (debatable)
  
• Norman (debatable)
  
• Woods
  

[marmooskapaul]

I don't see DJ, Rory, Day or Spieth getting more than 20-25 PGA tour wins. That's a lot! Rory might get 6-7 majors?? the rest 4 is tops.

They are all great, but golf is funny and hard. Don't think DJ will catch Rory in overall majors, but might have more wins...when it's all said and done?

[madchens]

I think what PGArox said holds a lot of merit in this conversation.

 

I think there is a division between the individuals who have enormous skill with the ones who have enormous skill and a "burning" desire to be the best. There are guys who have the skill to win quite a few golf tournaments but can't sustain it for long periods of time. It is tremendously difficult to be the best in the world with everyone gunning for you and still continuing to go out and work work work.

 

This is what separates Tiger, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Tom Brady, etc. There are a ton of people who have supreme athletic ability but do not have the desire to be at the range or in the gym every morning at 5AM then back at the range or gym at 6PM. It takes an extreme level of sacrifice to stay at the top for extended periods of time. Family can get alienated, friends can be few and far between, relationships can suffer and it can be extremely stressful.

 

See Rory's quote below:

In a lengthy interview with the Irish Independent, McIlroy said he wouldn't adopt Woods's lifestyle even if it meant enjoying Woods's success.

"I've seen what his life is like in Florida," McIlroy said. "I've played golf with him and said: 'What are you doing tonight? Do you want to come and have dinner with us?' And he can't. He just can't. And for me that's unfathomable. I could not live like that ... If someone was to say, 'You can have 14 majors and 70 wins but have to deal with that, or nine majors and 40 wins and stay somewhat the same as you are', I'd take the second option all day."