Players you can’t see ever winning a major.

[HomerJSimpson]

Harrington isn't in the same league as Faldo

Personally I agree but the point I am making is he took a conscious decision after the first win to go out and rebuild and then managed to go onto further success. Based on that and his famed drive and determination is he really the most unlikely 3 time winner?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Personally I agree but the point I am making is he took a conscious decision after the first win to go out and rebuild and then managed to go onto further success. Based on that and his famed drive and determination is he really the most unlikely 3 time winner?

Quick Google check. Players in the modern era with 3 Majors:

Padraig Harrington
Hale Irwin
Larry Nelson
Nick Price
Vijay Singh
Jordan Speith
Payne Stewart

Mostly before my interest in golf so I can't comment on where Harrington fits.

Perhaps the more interesting question is do people see him as much better than some of those on 2 Majors? I have been a little selective as there are a good number of them:

Ben Crenshaw
Retief Goosen
Tony Jacklin
Zach Johnson
Martin Kaymer
Bernhard Langer
Sandy Lyle
Johnny Miller
Greg Norman
Jose Maria Olazabal
Bubba Watson
Fuzzy Zoeller

At the end of the day, he has 3 and he can sit back and look at the trophies. It is a good pub debate though.

 

[Wolf]

I don't think Harrington made a conscious decision to rebuild in order to win more majors.

I listened to a really in depth interview with him on a podcast few months back and he admitted then he always changed his swing and tinkered because he was not very good with his long game and that he will never stop because he isn't a great ball striker or very accurate. He admitted players in his home county matches used want to play him because he couldn't hit the course from the tee, but what he could do and worked so hard at was pitching, chipping and putting and that was what got him to Walker cup and being able turn pro.

Even said in his first pro event he missed fairways by 60 yards or more and that a well known tour player whom he was playing with he said will remain nameless told him walking down the 18th fairway he should find another job as his game isnt cut out for tour life. Then he goes and makes the cut and wins early on in his career and that was what made him realise that he could compete but he had to find a way to swing it better to not just compete and stay on tour but to make a living.

He is certainly someone that has possibly overachieved where it comes to majors through his work ethic but I certainly don't think after hearing his own words that it was the majors that made him make the changes unlike Faldo who that's all it was about

 

[Wolf]

Quick Google check. Players in the modern era with 3 Majors:

Padraig Harrington
Hale Irwin
Larry Nelson
Nick Price
Vijay Singh
Jordan Speith
Payne Stewart

Mostly before my interest in golf so I can't comment on where Harrington fits.

Perhaps the more interesting question is do people see him as much better than some of those on 2 Majors? I have been a little selective as there are a good number of them:

Ben Crenshaw
Retief Goosen
Tony Jacklin
Zach Johnson
Martin Kaymer
Bernhard Langer
Sandy Lyle
Johnny Miller
Greg Norman
Jose Maria Olazabal
Bubba Watson
Fuzzy Zoeller

At the end of the day, he has 3 and he can sit back and look at the trophies. It is a good pub debate though.

Some great players on that list. Norman should have had more, it's amazing Miller only won 2, but he was about in a golden age of winners.

Nick Price could have had more as well but what a player. Kaymer sadly for me has slipped I'd love see him comeback and win again. Then there's Payne Stewart loved his style and flamboyance and so many great things are said about his character especially what he did with Phil Mickelson after beating him in US Open.

More surprising if you look at some players with only 1 major win compared to some on that list.

Tom Kite
Lanny Wadkins
Tom Weiskopf
Davis Love III
Fred Couples
Adam Scott

 

[fundy]

Think you may be wrong with Fleetwood

Fowler will have everything to fall into place for him to win one (probably coming for a handful back late on)
Woodland (this could be a short beat haha)
Kuchar

the ones that jump into my mind

Edit: adding Tony Finau too

Kind of inevitable lol, wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt backed him in most of the majors for the last 3 years then left him alone here

 

[TheJezster]

This is one of those lists that someone will always be right! There will be current players who don't end up winning majors, that's just a fact, it will happen. The thing is, we don't know WHO they might be for certain. We can guess, for sure, and when they're done you can say "see, I told you so", conveniently not discussing or counting the umpteen other 'predictions' that you got wrong.

It's fun to speculate though, but if you happen to luck out and get one of them right, it doesn't make you more knowledgeable than others, just luckier.

The likes of who have been discussed are all capable of winning majors, they are in the field. Heck, how many people said Tiger was finished? And look how that turned out...

It's golf, there are many variables and there are also many many good players around at the moment.

Long may it continue

 

[Grant85]

Sorry again that’s nonsense about both Watson and ZJ ?!

ZJ has around the same tour wins as all the players you mention plus more majors - those guys haven’t reached his level of results , just because he isn’t a “flair” player doesn’t mean his ability can be dismissed and Watson also got to a playoff in the US PGA - calling him “lucky” is as already been said ignorant to his ability’s- he maybe unconventional but you can not argue with his results.

Just my view.

the likes of DJ, Garcia, Stenson, Rose, Scott are far more complete players than Bubba (and Zach Johnson for that matter).

It's hardly being disrespectful or ignorant to say they are not quite as good overall as some of the best players to play the game in the last 20 years.

Just checked a few stats since you mention 'has around the same tour wins' -
ZJ has 12 wins total (including the 2 majors).
Sergio has 34 wins and DJ has 22 (incl a load of WGCs).
(for the record Westwood has 43!)

I'm not the biggest DJ fan - and he does have issues closing - but to try and put him in the same league as ZJ in terms of golfing ability is just crazy. DJ dominates tournaments (and the world rankings) and will add to the 22, while ZJ probably won't.

As I said, there can be a random element to the majors given there is only 4 of them and a player can get hot the right week - but does that make him better than someone who has won nearly double the number of tournaments?

 

[Grant85]

Bubba is an incredible talent. To suggest he got lucky is just simply pig ignorant.

Look at his major record? If one of them wasn't at Augusta every year he'd probably have no majors. You could say there's an element of luck that Augusta suits his game, or you could argue he pro-actively built his career and playing style around competing at Augusta (I'm going to suggest the former is more likely).

Not denying the talent and he is very entertaining to watch when he is on form, but he can't adapt to a LOT of courses or conditions - which in my book is a big hole in his golfing ability. 4 times the number of MC than Top 10s.

 

[Parsaregood]

From the current top 50:

Paul Casey
Shane Lowry
Kevin Na
Ian Poulter
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Cabrera Bello
Eddie Pepperell
Billy Horschel
Tyrell Hatton
Brendt Snedeker
Jim Furyk
Aphibarnrat

Good safe list there I think!

Jim furyk has won the us open 😂

 

[Grant85]

I don't think Harrington made a conscious decision to rebuild in order to win more majors.

I listened to a really in depth interview with him on a podcast few months back and he admitted then he always changed his swing and tinkered because he was not very good with his long game and that he will never stop because he isn't a great ball striker or very accurate. He admitted players in his home county matches used want to play him because he couldn't hit the course from the tee, but what he could do and worked so hard at was pitching, chipping and putting and that was what got him to Walker cup and being able turn pro.

Even said in his first pro event he missed fairways by 60 yards or more and that a well known tour player whom he was playing with he said will remain nameless told him walking down the 18th fairway he should find another job as his game isnt cut out for tour life. Then he goes and makes the cut and wins early on in his career and that was what made him realise that he could compete but he had to find a way to swing it better to not just compete and stay on tour but to make a living.

He is certainly someone that has possibly overachieved where it comes to majors through his work ethic but I certainly don't think after hearing his own words that it was the majors that made him make the changes unlike Faldo who that's all it was about

I think Harrington has definitely got absolutely everything out of his career that he could have. Determination, hard work, bloody mindedness.

After winning the '07 Open I remember him saying on the 18th green that he could have been satisfied with the career he was having as a 'journeyman pro' but he no long has to have that career. To then kick on in the following 13 months and win another 2 majors shows you what a bit of belief can do.

Personal view of Faldo is he is someone who had that belief and perhaps needed more competition in the GB&I world to push on even more than he did. He was happy enough being top GB&I and even top Euro player (vying with Seve) but he didn't quite have the same determination and doggedness as someone like a Harrington. Clearly still an impressive haul and 6 majors is better than almost everyone else who has ever lived.

But notable that Faldo stopped playing when he stopped being competitive. Fair enough, he went down the broadcasting route but didn't want to go out there and grind to make cuts and scrap for everything just for that one extra chance to maybe be the best player over 72 holes one week.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Personal view of Faldo is he is someone who had that belief and perhaps needed more competition in the GB&I world to push on even more than he did. He was happy enough being top GB&I and even top Euro player (vying with Seve) but he didn't quite have the same determination and doggedness as someone like a Harrington. Clearly still an impressive haul and 6 majors is better than almost everyone else who has ever lived.

Comedy gold


He was one of the most determined golfers there's ever been!

 

[Grant85]

Comedy gold


He was one of the most determined golfers there's ever been!

Like I said, personal view. If he was so determined he would have kept playing a full schedule until much later in his 40s. Plenty of lesser players stayed competitive until much nearer 50.

But he was happy with what he'd done and didn't like 'competing' when he was no longer one of the best players and so took the easier commentary route.

Compare him with Phil - still winning tour events at 48, still trying to get better and grinding out cuts in majors for that one extra chance to try and get another big W.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think there is a big difference between being dogged during your peak career and being dogged when you are rarely competitive. I can completely see why Faldo packed in when he did and it is tough to argue it was a bad decision.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Comedy gold


He was one of the most determined golfers there's ever been!

Absolutely!

I think the comment about Faldo was written by someone not old enough to have seen him play in his pre-Majors years and his peak, 87-96.

 

[r0wly86]

Like I said, personal view. If he was so determined he would have kept playing a full schedule until much later in his 40s. Plenty of lesser players stayed competitive until much nearer 50.

But he was happy with what he'd done and didn't like 'competing' when he was no longer one of the best players and so took the easier commentary route.

Compare him with Phil - still winning tour events at 48, still trying to get better and grinding out cuts in majors for that one extra chance to try and get another big W.

He was famously competitive, hitting ball in practice until hands were bleeding. Not the most naturally gifted of golfers in his era that had Seve, Norman etc but worked incredibly hard and was often bloody minded in his pursuit of wins.

Unlike Harrington though he was literally one of the best golfers in the world for quite a long time, to go from that to scraping through cuts and getting mid places is a big fall compared to someone who is a solid but average player who had a few superb seasons. He also spectacularly lost form for a while, he wasn't just uncompetitive at the top of the leader board he was often carding 80s at that point it is probably very difficult for such a decorated player to try and come back for the odd good showing

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Absolutely!

I think the comment about Faldo was written by someone not old enough to have seen him play in his pre-Majors years and his peak, 87-96.

It was Faldo who really got me into golf. I remember watching him in the early '90s.
That round at Muirfield, with 18 pars, was pretty much the definition of dogged determination.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

It was Faldo who really got me into golf. I remember watching him in the early '90s.
That round at Muirfield, with 18 pars, was pretty much the definition of dogged determination.

And to go into the wilderness to build a swing consistent enough to win Majors at a time when he had already won the European OOM.

 

[Papas1982]

Like I said, personal view. If he was so determined he would have kept playing a full schedule until much later in his 40s. Plenty of lesser players stayed competitive until much nearer 50.

But he was happy with what he'd done and didn't like 'competing' when he was no longer one of the best players and so took the easier commentary route.

Compare him with Phil - still winning tour events at 48, still trying to get better and grinding out cuts in majors for that one extra chance to try and get another big W.

The same Phil who has admitted he won't play tough courses as he isn't capable. So is basically just hoping for a few lucky pay days.....

 

[Grant85]

The same Phil who has admitted he won't play tough courses as he isn't capable. So is basically just hoping for a few lucky pay days.....

Not really - he is just managing his schedule. He's 48 so he can't play 30 tournaments a year. Especially with the PGA Tour now being heavily condensed between April and August.

It's hardly an issue to play in the tour events that best suit you, regardless of age. He is still playing a fairly full schedule and ranked inside the world top 30.

Also - luck has nothing to do with it. He obviously works very hard to stay competitive.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I think Harrington has definitely got absolutely everything out of his career that he could have. Determination, hard work, bloody mindedness.

After winning the '07 Open I remember him saying on the 18th green that he could have been satisfied with the career he was having as a 'journeyman pro' but he no long has to have that career. To then kick on in the following 13 months and win another 2 majors shows you what a bit of belief can do.

Personal view of Faldo is he is someone who had that belief and perhaps needed more competition in the GB&I world to push on even more than he did. He was happy enough being top GB&I and even top Euro player (vying with Seve) but he didn't quite have the same determination and doggedness as someone like a Harrington. Clearly still an impressive haul and 6 majors is better than almost everyone else who has ever lived.

But notable that Faldo stopped playing when he stopped being competitive. Fair enough, he went down the broadcasting route but didn't want to go out there and grind to make cuts and scrap for everything just for that one extra chance to maybe be the best player over 72 holes one week.

Are you really saying that about Faldo ?!? Seriously ??

Did you ever watch golf in the 80's ?!

Its ludicrous to even suggest that Faldo wasnt as determined as the next person

And you are basing it on what ? he was a machine , a robot with his golf to the point he got pelted in the media for not being more like Seve in the way he acted and was too focused on his golf

This was a man who was winning big events but then knew he had to change his swing to progress to the next level , went through a full swing rebuild and won multiple majors because of that self determination.

Then at the age of 40 i think it was when his career was dwindling he won another Masters.

Why the hell did he want to just go out and make cuts - he was a winner , he didnt just want to compete he wanted to win and when he knew he wasnt good enough to win he stopped.