The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Early days for Dubai trophy claimers
Even the hard-hearted cynics among us took great pleasure from the final day of the 2019 European Tour season. Two appealing new stars took away the main baubles. First Spain’s Jon Rahm, by virtue of a stirring finish and a superb weekend, carried away both the Scary Mace and the Gold Helter Skelter thing for winning the season finale, the DP World Championship, and the Race to Dubai title at the same time.
(Slight digression: you get the Scary Mace for winning the tournament and the Helter Skelter thing for the R2D – I was never quite clear which was which until this year. Sorry if you were). Anyway, Rahm is just 25. Slightly earlier on the final day in Dubai, Scotland’s Robert Macintyre was handed the Sir Henry Cotton Silver Salver (a wholly classier kind of trophy) for being the Tour’s Rookie of the Year. Robert is just 23.
Rahm has now won four Rolex Series events (the DP World and Irish Open twice each) as well as two Spanish Opens, plus three PGA Tour events, in less than four full years as a professional. He also had a reasonably decent Ryder Cup debut, taking down Tiger Woods in the singles, in Paris last year.
The one thing missing from his list of honours, of course, is a major championship. But today’s golfing world being what it is, that’s what people are starting to focus on.
Now, for the elite player group to which Rahm now unquestionably belongs, the majors do count double.
The ink is not quite dry on my column a couple of weeks ago about Rory Mcilroy, when I pointed out that while his strong season in 2019 had been memorable – maybe even finally putting to bed the assessment that he’s a streaky player – what people are going to remember long-term is his dreadful first day at Royal Portrush.
It’s not right, it’s not fair, but it’s the reality.
But Mcilroy has won four of these major things and should probably have won a whole lot more.
I expect – and hope – him to win a lot more by the time he’s done. Rahm is a baby in comparison, and while his record since turning pro after the US Open in 2016 is freaky, it will surely translate to major success at some future point.
But seriously, it’s early days to be talking about whether he has issues at majors. Rahm’s preference to play with his heart on his sleeve had him cast as mentally unprepared for major success for some, which is simply ludicrous.
He’s played just 13 majors so far, has four top five finishes and an 11th at Portrush last year. He’s got all the shots, he’s got the temperament to win tight ones (see Sunday, and Paris).
“Another strong finish in Dubai took him to over two million euros on the year; he doubled his money since July
I’d say that Rahm winning a major – multiple majors in fact – is one of the safest long-term bets in golf over the next five years. It’s going to happen.
Now Macintyre. I’ll be the first to admit that those of us in the Scottish golf press are getting a bit over-excited over Bob.
It’s what happens when you’ve waited patiently for a new young star over what seems like decades (it isn’t nearly that long, really) and then one falls into your lap.
Who knows really what lies ahead for him. The second year syndrome or the “sophomore slump” as our American cousins call it, is a real thing.
But that still doesn’t excuse someone who asked me during the week whether Bob not so far actually winning an event “could become a thing with him”. It’s absurdly early to make any judgment.
Two years ago Macintyre was playing the mini tour in the Middle East. Last year he was on the Challenge Tour, not securing his card until the final event.
He’s barely started. At the Open in July he broke the €1 million barrier, and when appraised of the news (he didn’t seem to know) couldn’t quite believe it.
Well, another strong finish in Dubai took him to over €2m on the year; he doubled his money since July. He finished the year with three runners-up placings and four more top tens.
Yes, he hasn’t won – yet. Kurt Kitayama and Guido Migliozzi, his rivals for the Rookie of the Year, both won twice in 2019, but Macintyre’s record in the best events was far superior. There’s no doubt he was the best debutant on the Tour this year.
Is it a foregone conclusion that he wins many tournaments, and has a star career? Well, no, and anyone who forms an opinion one way or the other is simply guessing. It’s really too early to tell.
Here’s two examples. Matteo Manassero was the best 16-year-old golfer I’ve ever seen (I saw Sergio, Justin Rose and Rahm, among others, at that age).
He was the youngest European Tour winner in history, and a BMW PGA champion. Last week he finished last in the European Tour’s Q School final.
Another example is Padraig Harrington. Padraig won in his ROY campaign in 1996, and then had NINE second places and 12 other top tens before he won again, in Brazil in 2000.
After that, he won at least one tournament for nine consecutive years, 16 in all, including three major titles.
Robert? I’m guessing like everyone else, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he had a career cv more like Paddy’s.