The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Career Slams usually happen early
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy’s fourth bid for the career Grand Slam was his best chance. He played in the final group with Patrick Reed and pulled to within one shot early until his putter failed him. He tied for fifth, and would seem to have time on his side.
“Come back again next year and try,” McIlroy said. “I’ve played in two final groups in the last seven years. I’ve had five top 10s. I play this golf course well. I just haven’t played it well enough at the right time.”
McIlroy has five straight top 10s, though he has yet to finish closer than six shots to the winner.
From purely a historical perspective, it might not get any easier the longer he goes.
While five players have completed the career Grand Slam, only three of them knew what they were winning. The modern version of the Grand Slam didn’t really start until Arnold Palmer raised the notion of winning all four professional majors in 1960. No one asked Gene Sarazen about the career Grand Slam when he won the Masters in 1935. Augusta National didn’t even award a green jacket until 1952. Ben Hogan won the fourth leg at Carnoustie in 1953.
That leaves Gary Player (completed in 1965), Jack Nicklaus (1966) and Tiger Woods (2000).
What they have in common is that each was in his 20s when he completed the Grand Slam. McIlroy will be 29 at next year’s Masters.
Player went 24 majors from his first one (1959 British Open) until he completed the slam at the 1965 U.S. Open. Nicklaus went 18 majors between his first (1962 U.S. Open) and completing it at the 1966 British Open. Woods took only 15 majors between his first and his fourth different major (1997 Masters to the 2000 British Open).
McIlroy finished his 27th major last week since winning the 2011 U.S. Open. It will be 31 majors, presuming good health, when he returns to the Masters next year.
Jordan Spieth has more time on his side. Spieth is
24. The PGA Championship, which he lacks for the career slam, will be his 16th major start since winning his first one at the 2015 Masters.
As for Phil Mickelson? Remember, he didn’t win his first major until he was
33.
“If it’s this year or not, they will do it. They have got a lot of time,” Mickelson said of McIlroy and Spieth. “They won their majors very early in their career. I didn’t start until I was 33 and they’re not even close to that. So they will get it done. But I need to get it done soon.”
MASTERS RETURN: Tony Finau has a Masters debut to remember. He made a hole-in-one at the Par 3 Tournament, injured ligaments in his left ankle while jogging backward to celebrate it and ran off six straight birdies in the final round for a 66 to tie for 10th.
Finau said when he hurt his ankle he wasn’t about to miss his first Masters. He was eligible because he shot 64 in the final round of the BMW Championship to make it to the Tour Championship.
That’s no longer an issue. The top 12 at the Masters automatically return the following year. Finau knew that.
“Yep, 100 percent,” he said. “Finishing 20th this week, you’d like to think I’d be back. But nothing is guaranteed. That’s something I’ve learned in life and in this game. I look forward to being back here. It’s a golf course I know I can play, and I’ve proved that to myself this week.”
PGA TOUR SLOGAN: After two decades, the PGA Tour is retiring its popular slogan, “These Guys Are Good.”
In its place is a new advertising campaign intended to attract a wider audience. The slogan is “Live Under Par,” playing off golf’s scoring system to par. Joe Arcuri, the tour’s chief marketing officer, said it tries to go beyond players’ performances to show how they connect with fans and other players.
“The new campaign captures not just a way to play, but a way to be,” Arcuri said.
It’s part of a “fan-first” mentality at the tour, which began with relaxing its mobile phone policy and social media guidelines at tournaments. In recent years, the PGA Tour has gone from banning photos during competition days to fielding complaints that tournaments need to boost the cell service at tournaments because so many fans are trying to use social media.
“We are pulling the camera lens out, so to speak, to highlight the fun and excitement on tour and highlight the special interaction we see every week between our players and fans,” Arcuri said. “We believe this, in turn, will help spur broader interest among a more diverse group of fans.”
The new campaign begins this week.
DIVOTS: Five players in the Masters were at the Houston Open the week before and in the RBC Heritage the week after — Jason Dufner, Dylan Frittelli, Martin Kaymer, Matt Kuchar and Ian Poulter. … Davis Love III has played in all eight PGA Tour events where his son, Dru, has received a sponsor’s exemption. That includes the RBC Heritage, where they are the first three-generation family to play. Davis Love Jr. played Hilton Head in 1969 and 1970. … Jordan Spieth has played the Masters five times. He has won, twice been runner-up, finished third and tied for 11th. That gives him an average of $890,640 in earnings per appearance. Jack Nicklaus earned $892,359 in his career at the Masters.
STAT OF THE WEEK: Eleven of the last 16 major champions were in their 20s.
FINAL WORD: “I put a little bit too much pressure on myself in the majors now because I know that I don’t have a ton of time to win them.” — Phil Mickelson, who turns 48 next month. The Masters was his 97th major as a pro.