Rory McIlroy Just Proved Why He’s the Best Player in the World Over Tiger Woods
Rory McIlroy is the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, but some fans still aren’t convinced. Brooks Koepka wins seemingly every major he plays in. Dustin Johnson can blow the field away whenever he’s on his A-game. Oh, and there’s still someone named Tiger Woods strolling the fairways on the PGA Tour. Still, McIlroy is far and away the best player on the planet, and he proved it Sunday.
Rory McIlroy is the most consistent golfer on the PGA Tour
In golf, consistency is key. It’s nearly impossible to achieve, but the legends of the game were always the most consistent performers on Tour. McIlroy is the most consistent golfer in the world today, and it’s not particularly close.
McIlroy’s performance on Tour this season has been nothing short of phenomenal. Over six professional events played in 2019-20, McIlroy didn’t place worse than fifth in any of them. He also won the WGC-HSBC Champions in November for his 18th PGA Tour victory.
McIlroy has played 24 professional rounds in the 2019-20 season. He shot in the 60s in 18 of them. McIlroy hasn’t shot worse than a 76 all season. Whenever the Northern Irishman enters into a tournament, you can all but pencil him in for a top-5. You can’t say that about any other player on Tour today, not even Tiger Woods.
Woods also won an event earlier this year at the ZOZO Championship, but, unlike McIlroy, he blew up in The Genesis Invitational and shot 11-over par to place 68th. McIlroy simply doesn’t do that. You get his best every single round. Woods might be the greatest ever, but McIlroy is the scariest competitor in the game right now.
McIlroy teed it up Sunday in the first pro golf event in 2 months
The PGA Tour has been on hold for over two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has plans to return without spectators in June, but a few of the world’s best teed it up last weekend in the TaylorMade Driving Relief competition.
The charity event pinned McIlroy and Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff with all proceeds going to COVID-19 aid. Although it was all for fun and to help a good cause, that didn’t stop the players from competing as if it was a major.
That was especially true for McIlroy, who battled a huge deficit and a useless partner to win the event basically all by himself.
McIlroy proved why he’s the best player in the world with his Sunday heroics
All throughout the TaylorMade Driving Relief competition, Fowler and Wolff controlled the match. Fowler was making every putt within a reasonable distance, and Wolff even made a few birdies to help out.
Dustin Johnson, however, was the worst player on the course Sunday. The world No. 5 made just one birdie all day, and he hit multiple balls out of bounds throughout the round. Nearly every time Johnson took himself out of a hole, though, McIlroy had his back.
As his team trailed the entire back 9, McIlroy scratched and clawed to tie holes and push the match to a playoff. Instead of playing an extra hole, the foursome went back to the 17th hole to hit a short wedge shot. Closest to the pin wins.
Wolff stepped up first and hit a good one to 20 feet into the wind. Fowler and Johnson both missed the green, so it was all up to McIlroy. Playing in so many final groups on Sunday the past few years clearly helped McIlroy in this spot, and he calmly stepped up and knocked his approach inside Wolff’s to seal the victory.
If you could pick one player in the world to hit that shot, you would choose McIlroy. Not Koepka, not Johnson, and not even Tiger Woods. McIlroy is the best golfer on the planet, and he proved it Sunday.
All stats courtesy of PGATour.com
