The withdrawal of Rory McIlroy from the British Open with an ankle injury has deprived golf fans of one of the most eagerly-awaited contests in recent years between two of the hottest players on the planet.
The duel between American tyro Jordan Spieth who won both the Masters and the US Open and Northern Irishman McIlroy was being touted as the start of a budding trans-Atlantic rivalry that has the potential to keep fans transfixed for several years to come.
Spieth, all of 21, is being hailed as the next big thing in world golf after Tiger Woods following his exploits at Augusta where he became the second youngest player after Woods to win the Masters in April.
A couple of months later he proved he was no flash in the pan with a five-shot win in the US Open at Chambers Bay in Washington, becoming the youngest winner of the event since Bobby Jones in 1923.
McIlroy, who finished fourth at the Masters and tied ninth at the US Open, was expected to defend the Claret Jug at St. Andrews in Scotland, with Spieth aiming to dethrone him and in the process snatch the world number one ranking from him.
But McIlroy’s absence has probably made the task easier for the American who now is uniquely placed to win his third straight major at an age when most golfers are finding their way through the gruelling qualifying process to make the cut as professionals.
Spieth himself has spoken of his disappointment at McIlroy’s absence and has expressed the hope that he will be back in action soon. The world of golf will be looking forward to that.
Greatest or among the greatest?
When a player scores a hat-trick in the first 16 minutes of a World Cup final with tens of millions of people watching across the world, essentially ending the match and clinching the tournament before most players worked up a sweat, his or her status as a sports legend is forever secure.
We already know USA striker Carli Lloyd’s performance against Japan in the final of the Women’s World Cup was among the best ever. But was it the greatest performance ever by an American athlete, as is being debated across the USA?
The Holy Trinity of American Olympic performances are: Bob Beamon’s leap of 8.90m (29ft 2.5in) in 1968 – a jump so remarkable for the time that Beamon landed beyond the measuring equipment; Florence Griffith-Joyner’s four golds in 1988, including world records in the 100m and 200m that still stand today; and Michael Phelps’ eight golds in 2008, capped by his final millisecond victory in the 100m fly. So, which was the greatest?
Remember, all of those athletes competed in individual sports, relays notwithstanding, while soccer is far from an individual sport. Yet, there can be no denying the fact that Lloyd made the opening minutes of the USA-Japan final look like her own event. At the very least, she deserves to be in the conversation with Beamon. And that’s pretty good company.
