Sunday afternoon won’t be everything golf fans hoped for when this special week started.
Fans root for Sunday charges and thrilling finishes. We hope for jam-packed leader boards and utter Sunday afternoon chaos. None of that will be served up tomorrow by Congressional Country Club and the U.S. Open.
Instead, we have Rory McIlroy.
Which is thrilling and exciting and impactful in the “broader picture” sense. When McIlroy hoists the championship trophy tomorrow afternoon he’ll officially announce a new era in golf. Tiger Woods is no longer the face of the sport. That honor will then belong to 22-year-old Rory.
McIlroy’s dominance this week will rank as one of the greatest all time achievements in golf. Nobody will remember that the course didn’t quite have the same bite as most U.S. Open’s. They’ll remember the multiple scoring records McIlroy ruthlessly smashed. They’ll remember his final score, whatever it happens to be (my guess is -18).
It’s just a shame that McIlroy has been so good this week. He’s ruined an otherwise fascinating golf tournament. Take McIlroy out of the picture and we’d be looking at a potentially thrilling Sunday. Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Matt Kuchar and Jason Day all are vying for their first major championship; Y.E. Yang trying to prove that he is much more than a one-hit wonder; Robert Garrigus trying to stroke his baby-sized putter to greatness. It’s a recipe for excitement.
Sometimes though, major championships aren’t about excitement. They’re about greatness. That’s what tomorrow will be, the next big step in realizing McIlroy’s greatness. This week has been about watching a golfer at the absolute top of his game.
Golf fans look forward to major championships for reasons they wont’ find tomorrow. The coronation may be a bit ho-hum. Still, at the end, we’ll be left with McIlroy, which should prove to be much more exciting in the long run.
