With a barrage of reports that Rory McIlroy will soon sign a 10-year, $200 million equipment and apparel deal with Nike – coupled with McIlroy’s own admission that he’s been tinkering with new clubs – the transition for McIlroy from Titleist to Nike now seems imminent. “I’m a Titleist player until the end of the year, and I’ve made no commitment to any company for next year,” said McIlroy. “I have a process that we are working through and you’ll probably hear more about it in the next few weeks.”

While the reported move has already drawn criticism from the likes of Nick Faldo, I for one have no issue with the move. It’s easy to share Faldo’s opinion when you don’t have a $200 million contract in front of you, but I’d imagine it’s damn near impossible to turn down that kind of guaranteed money. Faldo’s opinion is based largely on the notion that any change in equipment will initially lead to you having less trust in your clubs, which can in turn shake your confidence when  you’re not sure if it’s the Indian or the arrow leading to errant shots. While I see Faldo’s point, I think Rory has picked the perfect time of year to experiment with new clubs. Couple that with the fact that all of the major equipment manufacturers make awesome stuff, and I think Rory has nothing to worry about. On top of this, Nike is reportedly bringing in one of Cleveland/Srixon’s former top designers exclusively to match Rory with the equipment that works best for him, much like they did when they lured Tom Stites away from Titleist and made him Nike Golf’s Chief of Design (essentially to work with Tiger Woods). Rory will also continue to play equipment with same shafts that he has been using, a key to consistent shot-making.

All of this aside, I stand by the notion that if you’re that good at golf, you can play with a wooden spoon. Give Rory a set of ladies clubs and he’ll shoot a 65 on your home course with ease.

With the switch now seemingly imminent, one interesting by-product of the move is that Tiger Woods is no longer Nike’s highest paid golfer. Will the man who essentially built Nike’s golf division on his back now play second fiddle? Far from it. While Rory is the world’s current #1 player and their highest paid golfer, Rory is no match for what Tiger does for the Nike brand. No athlete in history has ever touched Tiger’s marketability – his ability to reach what has long been a historically Caucasian market, coupled with the Asian market and the African-American market is unmatched. He’s brought more people to the game who otherwise may never have found it than any player ever will. Rory’s a white kid from Ireland, and no matter how good he becomes, he’ll never be as valuable to Nike as Tiger.

That said, you have to credit Nike for  a brilliant business move. Nike knows Tiger as well as anybody, and they clearly believe that he has plenty of golf left in him. By bringing Rory onboard they’ve further fueled the growing Woods-McIlroy rivalry. As the golf world drools over Woods-McIlroy showdowns that you know will happen for years to come, both men will be donning the Nike Swoosh. The best golf ever played may very well be in front of us, and Nike is positioning itself as the gold standard of the game.

In signing Rory, Nike is also stepping pretty solidly on Titleist’s neck. Long considered arguably the best equipment company in the game, Nike has used it’s seemingly endless resources to squash the competition. While I’m something of a golf traditionalist and yearn for the days of the best players hitting MacGregors and Wilson Staffs, I’m aware that that will never happen again. I’ll never root for any corporate takeover, but you have to admit Nike is pulling all the right strings in their golf division.

Tiger will always be the man at Nike, but the new kid will certainly position them as golf’s premier equipment company well into the future.

While golf fans everywhere have yearned for a rival for Tiger Woods, the reality is that Tiger has long been a golfer without a true peer. As the landscape of Woods’ life and golf game has changed, it appears that this may as well. So while we continue to watch Tiger challenge Rory McIlroy throughout this year’s Fed Ex Cup, let’s reflect on the players who have mounted the biggest challenge to Tiger’s supremacy.

1) Rory McIlroy – Tiger Woods is smart enough to know that Rory McIlroy is different. He’s seen a lot of up and coming “young guns” come up hot only to flame out, but in Rory he sees more of… himself. He sees an uber-talented kid winning majors in his early twenties. He sees that he’s similarly unflappable. He sees that he’s almost untouchable at the moment. But most importantly, he sees that he has that sixth gear that only the greats possess and that he wants it. He wants in that bad.

But while Rory only has two major victories in his young career, both were by a Woods-like 8 shots. I’m not here to say that Woods and McIlroy will go on to hold a similar place in golf history – I don’t think they will – but I’m here to say that Rory is better than Tiger right now, and Tiger knows it. Tiger will, 100% bounce back from whatever you want to call the lull he’s in right now to challenge Rory for what has so long been his – the title of the best player in the world. And that, I’m hoping, will provide the rivalry we’ve all been waiting for for so long – and perhaps the best golf ever played. I for one think that’s a likely reality, and can’t imagine what would be more fun to watch happen to this sport.

2) Ernie Els - Soon after Tiger Woods said “Hello, world” and announced that he’d be turning pro and signing an endorsement deal with Nike, Ernie Els captured his second US Open championship. He was a known, established commodity in the golf world and as Tiger came up Els was one of the giants of the game he’d have to dethrone. 15 years later Ernie has managed to capture 2 additional majors, but he’s also racked up 15 additional top 3 finishes in majors. In 2000, Woods best season as a pro, Els came in second place in the Masters, the US Open, and the Open Championship.

Els has also been famously forthcoming about all things Woods, often offering up opinions on Tiger’s game, supremacy compared to other players, and even his off course issues.  Els would manage to play at Tiger’s level at times as well, with the 3-hole playoff for the 2003 President’s Cup being perhaps the best display of clutch putting I’ve ever seen. All of that said, I don’t think Tiger ever felt much of a threat from Els. My guess would be that Tiger holds a deep respect for all aspects of Els’ game, but has few doubts about his ability to beat him head to head.

3) Vijay Singh – Vijay Singh’s rivalry with Tiger Woods really blossomed in 2003, then matured throughout the 2004 season. In ’04 Singh would win 9 tournaments, including the PGA Championship, before overtaking Tiger Woods for #1 in the Official World Golf Rankings – a spot Woods had held for 264 consecutive weeks. He was also named the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year. While it’s undeniable that Vijay wasn’t derailed that much by Woods in the majors (despite his 3 major victories he only had 5 top 3 finishes), his 2004 season was the only instance of true Woods-like dominance in the midst of the Woods era, with the possible exception being Padraig Harrington’s 2008 campaign.

4) Phil Mickelson – In Hank Haney’s book The Big Miss he dishes on Woods’ views of Mickelson stating, “Most of it is that Mickelson possesses the kind of talent that has made him a legitimate threat to Tiger’s supremacy. Phil’s popularity with fans and gentle treatment from the media add to Tiger’s annoyance. For years, Tiger reveled in the idea that Mickelson had trouble playing in his presence.” And while there’s no doubt that to this point Phil Mickelson has been considered Tiger’s biggest rival, the rivalry most certainly has not lived up to the hype.

Truthfully, Phil hasn’t had much more luck than Ernie against Tiger. He’s managed to win 4 majors, be he also has 18 top 3 finishes. A closer examination of their records suggests that Ernie lost as Tiger’s hands more often than Phil did – in fact Phil has only been runner-up to Tiger in a major once. I think Tiger’s perspective on Mickelson is more based in his recognition of Phil’s talent than a true respect for him game. He roars at the opportunity to step on this dimwit.

5) Honorable (or pityable?) mention - Chris Dimarco. You’ve got to feel bad for the man. He finished runner-up to Woods in a major twice, as well as once in a World Golf Championship event. And his performances were all pure grit – he absolutely pushed Woods as much as anybody. As of now, he looks set to retire with 3 wins on the PGA tour and certainly no spot in history. Without Woods’ interference, he could be mentioned in the same breath as other players with multiple majors.

Will Rory or Woods spend more of the next 5 years ranked #1 in the world? How many majors will Rory end his career with? Will this rivalry even continue to play out? Let’s just say I’m optimistic, and it should be a hell of a lot of fun to watch unfold.

Historic. Dominating. Superlative. Brilliant. Those are merely feeble attempts to come up with a word that truly describes how good Rory McIlroy was yesterday. In winning the PGA Championship by 8 shots, Rory became the PGA Championship’s second youngest winner, but more impressively, he won by the largest margin of victory ever. At 23 years old, Rory joins the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only 23 year olds ever to capture the PGA Championship. That’s pretty decent company, no?

Seriously though, Rory’s final round 66 was arguably the best round of golf I’ve ever seen – the kid literally didn’t miss a shot. And make no mistake about it, Kiawah Island is a brutal course with trouble looming everywhere. McIlroy not only avoided all of the trouble, but he did so without showing anything resembling nerves – he was in total command the entire round. I recall Tiger’s 15 stroke victory at the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach, and while Rory didn’t win be 15, his final round was of that caliber. It may have even been better.

This kid’s the complete package – he bombs it, is flawless with his irons, great around the greens, and let’s just say he had 24 putts in his final 18 holes yesterday. Remarkable. Rory is simply proving what everyone has been saying all along – he has the 6th gear that the other players don’t. He’s got that freakish level of talent and the ability to go super low. Tiger is the only other player I’ve ever seen that out of. Color me impressed.

The win moves Rory to number one in the World Golf Rankings, and make no mistake about it, he’s the best player on the planet right now. That’s right, I said it – Rory McIlroy is a better golfer than Tiger Woods is right now. No doubt about it. And while Phil Mickelson has long been considered Tiger’s chief rival, I think it’s unquestionable that Rory will emerge as a much larger threat to Tiger in this second phase of his career. He’s got multiple majors already – both 8 shot victories – and at 23 years old, he’s got a real shot at being one of the greats. If Tiger regains his form, to see McIlroy and Woods go head to head when playing their best might be witnessing golf at the highest level it’s ever been played at.

Best of all, Rory seems like a an extremely likable champion. He seems as humble as could be for someone so talented, and he seemed genuinely giddy with joy following his performance yesterday. All those female golf fans that now hate Tiger’s guts? They’re going to love Rory. But perhaps more importantly, Rory’s performance yesterday will undoubtedly grab the attention of his peers. They all knew he was awesome already, but Rory just scared the heck out of his fellow touring pros. Remember how the rest of the guys used to look at Tiger? Rory just put the tour on notice – you know you can’t beat him when he’s at his best, and he knows it as well.

Somewhat lost in the sporting news this past weekend was one hell of a golf tournament. Tiger Woods showed the world for the first time that he still has that sixth gear, shooting a career best 62 after many considered him to be out of contention. The round would force young Rory McIlroy to play flawless golf coming in, and he did just that to capture the Honda Classic. At 22 years old, Rory McIlroy is one day shy of three years younger than me – and for the first time in his life, he’s the best golfer on the planet. God damn I’m jealous, but I think most golf fans are happy to see Rory claim golf’s throne.

McIlroy first won on the European tour in 2009, first won on the PGA tour in 2010, and first won a major in 2011. Much like Woods, winning was not a problem at an early age – it was an expectation. Rory has now won 2 PGA tour tournaments, 2 European tour tournaments, and the 2011 US Open. It’s far to soon to call him Tiger’s rival, and Tiger isn’t the Tiger we’ve always known at this point anyways. Regardless, the golfing world can’t help but drool thinking about if these two guys are able to both hit their stride this season. I think Sunday’s Honda tournament was merely a sneak peek at a showdown we’ll see again later this year.

McIlroy seeming has it all at the moment – he’s got an explosive game, that shows no real flaws tee to green. He’s got confidence, at this point bordering on the cockiness that I think is required of any World #1. He’s got the Irish thing going on, he’s affable, and he’s got the support of his fellow pros. Padraig Harrington and Geoff Ogilvy, to name two, are a couple of the more recent players with championship caliber games to sing Rory’s praises. “Since the first day I saw him play, he was a level above us,” said Ogilvy.

I for one am a McIlroy fan, and I do think that he’ll push Tiger someday. I’m not jumping on the “heir apparent’ bandwagon just yet – we heard that with the likes of Anthony Kim, and others, who ultimately faded. But as far as the young guns go I consider Rory to be the best, followed shortly thereafter by Dustin Johnson.

Most of the golfing world doesn’t truly awaken until the Masters. I suspect Rory will be the favorite – but Tiger will be the one slipping into the green jacket.

Hello World, Rory McIlroy has landed. Nobody that knows golf had any worries about McIlroy following his final round meltdown at this year’s Masters, but nobody expected his coronation to be this severe. McIlroy’s 8-shot victory, the lowest score in relation to par in US Open history, was undoubtedly one of the great performances in the history of golf. That said, I do feel that everybody is far too eager to crown the heir-apparent to Tiger Woods – and frankly folks, this victory does not hold a candle to Tiger’s win at the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach. Rory won by 8 shots, Tiger won by 15 – how soon we forget.

All of that said, let’s make one thing very clear – while golf is now filled with young superstars that can do it all and will undoubtedly compete in many majors, Rory is the exception. America delighted at Anthony Kim following his performance in the last Ryder Cup. A flawless swing, and a fierce competitor. Dustin Johnson has a scary long game coupled with a deft touch and stroke, as evidenced by his near misses in majors. Martin Kaymer is near robotic when he’s on. All of that said, Rory’s got them all beat. He is golf’s next superstar, and I have no hesitation in saying that he will win numerous majors. I see Rory as the next Mickelson, the next Els, the next Duval. But you can’t call this kid the next Tiger. You really can’t call anybody the next Tiger.

I’d argue that more than any other sport, golf’s majors flush out the pretenders and bring out the best in the top players. While relative unknowns frequently step up in the Superbowl or in the NBA Finals, the major venues are set up so difficulty that they almost always bring out the cream of the crop. McIlroy has been in serious contention in 4 straight majors, and has led after 7 of 8 major tournament rounds so far this year. He’s scary long, scary straight, scary accurate, a good putter, and seems to have a nice level head on him. I don’t see in him the ultimate competitor I see in Tiger or the can’t miss in the clutch factor, but I see a mentally sharp player with an incredible amount of talent and confidence. His swing is near flawless – the only part of his game that I can question is ironically enough the most important part – the short game – but that’s only because I haven’t yet seen it. The guy hits nearly every green in regulation, so he typically doesn’t need to scramble a lot. He is almost the anti Seve Ballesteros. And too his critics that cited his record setting performance to an “easy” setup of the course at Congressional, of all the best players in the world only 20 were able to break par in the tournament. While that’s a large number by US Open standards, these guys come into every major tournament with their games as tuned-up as can be. And Rory beat the next best player by 2 shots; every single day. That’s all that needs to be said.

Best of all, Rory seems like a a nice kid who will be good for the game of golf. Now please Golf Gods, get me a healthy Tiger Woods. A Woods-McIlroy rivalry is exactly what golf needs – and like Tiger, McIlroy sets himself apart from others by having that 6th gear to really go low on the most difficult courses (see starting this year’s Open 65-66). In other words, he’s one of few players whose game could truly push Tiger to another level once he returns to form.

What a performance.

Charl Schwartzel of South Africa won the 2011 Masters yesterday…haha…what? Seriously, I know this guy has had a good record in Europe and all, but he was the only player in the field that I had not previously heard of. He played great and won, but to be honest he kind of bored me.

If I had told you previously that Tiger could silence his doubters at the Masters this week with anything short of a win, you would have told me that I was crazy. That said, Tiger did just that. Shooting a blistering 31 on the front nine, Tiger was firing on all cylinders and making putts. When he made eagle of the par 5 8th and unleashed his classic fist pump, Tiger was back. He was charging at a major, making eagles, the crowd was behind him, and his world was restored to order. He relished in it. You could see how much he loved it on his face.

Which is exactly why he will be fine — I’d expect him to win a major this year. He was in fact leader in the clubhouse when he finished.

Also, it was a great day for Australian golf. Props to Adam Scott and Jason Day; the Aussie’s will capture a Masters soon enough. As for Rory McIlroy, he’ll be fine. This one will be appropriately chalked up to learning experience and life will go on. He’s got too much game not to win one of these shortly.

With Tiger Woods’ game in shambles and Phil Mickelson out of contention (despite a great final round), the PGA Championship got exactly what it needed — an awesome tournament with a fresh infusion of golf’s new young stars battling it out. 25-year-old German Martin Kramer eventually took the trophy in a playoff over American Bubba Watson, although a controversial ruling kept Dustin Johnson out of playoff. Here’s a breakdown of the young stars that battled it out on Sunday.

Martin Kaymer – A few weeks back I was on ESPN.com looking at the world golf rankings for another post that I was writing. I was shocked to see that Martin Kaymer was ranked 9th in the world, on the heels of 5 European tour victories. I asked my roommate (and fellow avid golfer) yesterday what he thought Kaymer’s world ranking might be, to which he responded 78th — echoing the popular unknown sentiment. It’s too bad that Kaymer’s victory will take a back seat to Dustin Johnson’s controversial rules call, as Kaymer played as well as anybody. His approach shot into the final playoff hole was golden.

Dustin Johnson – When Johnson’s ball ended up on a sand/dirt patch on the back 9 Sunday, he never even considered that his ball could be in a “bunker.” He proceeded to touch his club to the ground (which you can’t do in a bunker) and hit a great shot. I would have done the same thing, as would most other players in the field. Johnson was later penalized 2-shots for the infraction that dropped him out of the final playoff. The good news is that he missed a short putt to “win” the tournament on the final hole of regulation — if he had made the putt he would have thought he had won the tournament, only to be stripped of his title. Regardless of his disappointment, Johnson played in the final group at 2 majors this year. He shot a final round 82 in the US Open to finish 8th, but rebounded yesterday to play much better — it was his tournament to win. This guy has absolutely awesome power, and clearly is a big tournament player. I’d look for him to play well next season and at the Ryder Cup.

Bubba Watson – Another super long hitter, Bubba ultimately ruined his chances on the final hole of the playoff against Kaymer by taking a stupidly aggressive line over water from the rough to the final green. Watson plunked it to make double bogey and lose. You’ve still got to love this guy — he’s never taken a golf lesson because he doesn’t want golf to “become his job.” He figures if he’s not good enough to beat all the other players without lessons, he’s just not good enough.

Rory McIlroy – Rory McIlroy is 22 years old, and missed the playoff by 1 shot. This kid, in my opinion, is golf’s next big star. His swing is awesome, he’s super aggressive, and he’s good enough to back it up with his game. He’s used to playing tough courses in adverse weather conditions, and should be a factor in majors for a long time.

All four of these names are players that you should know. While the days of Tiger and Phil are by no means gone (don’t listen to that BS), it’s refreshing to see a group of new young talent stepping up in the game.

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