Rory questions importance of a good short game

[splashtryagain]

In a sense what he says is correct. To win tournaments you have to be giving yourself birdie opps after all a majority of events are won way under par over the four days. To a pro with winning in mind this is more important, scrambling pars at some events won't even make the cut. However when they do miss the greens getting up and down is essential but they don't do this as often as hitting the green so in that sense the long game is more important. The reverse is true for most amateurs.

 

[The23rdman]

At the end of his career Ben Hogan had the best long game any golfer has ever had and he won a fraction of the tournaments he could have because he couldn't putt.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I always count putting as part of the short game

I think it's clear he views putting as distinct from chipping and bunker play.

I see it as a different game.

 

[Dodger]

Its a strange thing to say especially as its a dodgy short game that stops him from winning most weeks

A what????

I think you are confusing him with the now removed World Number 1.

 

[Toby_LeRhone]

McIlroy has a point; he didnt say you had to have a long long game, only that a great long game was relatively more important than a great short game. At his level, everyone is good at everything; if he could choose an aspect of his game to be great at, he'd choose long. Fate seems to have equipped him accordingly; so he would say that, wouldnt he.

 

[freddielong]

Its a strange thing to say especially as its a dodgy short game that stops him from winning most weeks

A what????

I think you are confusing him with the now removed World Number 1.

His putting is horrible

 

[brendy]

His putting is horrible

Compared to .....?

 

[HogansAlley]

His putting is horrible

Sadly, I quite agree. Rory'd win three or four tournaments a year with a better putting stroke (yes, it's comparative, we'd all take his putting stroke).
I try not compartmentalise the game; it's all 'the game'. If one part of game is poor it has a cancerous affect on all the rest because you are subconciously trying to avoid playing those shots. If you are very confident from 6ft in on the greens, just watch your chipping improve. Not so confident on the greens, chipping becomes rather more tricky. It's all linked.

It's very easy to say this of course…

 

[freddielong]

His putting is horrible

Compared to .....?

Tiger at his best

 

[HogansAlley]

His putting is horrible

Compared to .....?

Tiger at his best

More seriously, it's a good question. In the current top 10 World Ranking, McIlroy and Kutcher are the weakest links putting wise.

Maybe Rory's putting isn't poor, it's just that he gives himself so many chances it appears that he misses more than his fair share?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

In a sense what he says is correct. To win tournaments you have to be giving yourself birdie opps after all a majority of events are won way under par over the four days. To a pro with winning in mind this is more important, scrambling pars at some events won't even make the cut. However when they do miss the greens getting up and down is essential but they don't do this as often as hitting the green so in that sense the long game is more important. The reverse is true for most amateurs.

I disagree. It is the scrambling pars that make the cuts especially when the game isn't on. At least getting in for the weekend is cash and ranking points (Race to Dubai and World rankings). Even at the weekend and particularly in last rounds do you see someone make a clutch putt or chip dead from a horror lie to make par and keep in contention and then go on and sneak it. I think a lot of pros would disagree with Rory and I think in years to come in the same way Westwood realised, you do need to put the effort in and have a short game to compete. Personally I think if Westwood had had a Mark Roe around 10 years ago he'd be a multi major winner and from that perspective everything now is playing catch up

 

[MashieNiblick]

Intersting comments and I see where he's coming from. Always thought the short game vs long game debate was a bit false. As others have said you need both (including putting) to win consistently especially at pro level.

All very well Paddy H saying 'If I played a 20 handicappers shots from 100 yards and in they would be off 5'. I don't think you can play off 5 if you are hacking out of the crud every other hole. What would they be off if he (or perhaps Luke or Sergio) hit all their drives and second shots instead?

On the other hand no one's long game holds up all the time and over 72 holes even the pros will make mistakes and that's where a good short game will make the difference between winning and coming second.

 

[JT77]

I can see his point for sure.
If you keep missing fairways and hitting in trees, you arent going to put yourself in contention, no matter how good your short game is, look at padraig harrington.
But I think you must have a top class short game to contend in the big tornaments, Mcdowell did an interview in a mag last year after his major win, he said he realised what he needed to win the big events, it was to improve hit short game, and give him more variation to use around the greens. Mcdowell has a solid long game, not as good as Rory imo, but his short game improved, and he won more!

 

[Yerman]

He's a ManU supporter - you cannot expect him to talk sense!

 

[AuburnWarrior]

He's a ManU supporter - you cannot expect him to talk sense!

Is he?

I knew there was something about him that I didn't like.....

 

[Imurg]

Taking Golf in 3 parts, long game, short game and putting I can see what Rory's saying.
As has been pointed out, if your long game is solid and you're hitting every green then the short game becomes a bystander. But you'll only win Tournaments if you can putt well, hitting every green but 2 putting every green ain't gonna win much. But give yourself 16-18 birdie chances per round a Pro like Rory should be making 4 or 5 of them. Shoot in the 60's every round and you start winning something.
As far as the short game goes, yes it is important for when you miss the green - that's a given. But if you're mostly chipping and putting for par - again that ain't gonna win.

"Putt for dough"? Not if you miss the green you wont be.

 

[BROOKIE]

Tee to green I think alot of golfers get the job done,but if
the putters hot,you win tournements

 

[splashtryagain]

Homer - I was meaning on balance in the majority of events to win the need to make birdies takes precedent over scrambling. I do agree that the short game is important but probably comes second to birdies when playing to win and not just place.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Not even the Pro's hit every green in regulation very often and I wouldn't mind betting they all hit roughly the same amount of GIR, clearly you need to hit it close to make birdies but you also need a great short game to avoid making bogeys which is just as important. Down the stretch on Sunday, especially in something like the US Open where the greens are tough to hold, not dropping shots will often win you the tournament and to do that you're gonna need a sh!t hot short game but equally, to give that short game a chance your long game is gonna need to be pretty darn good too.

 

[IM01]

He needs to grind out scores when he's not playing great or gets the rough end of the draw weather wise like at the open.Thats when the short game tells.When Tiger was dominating he was great at churning out 69/70s when he was hitting it all over the place when most pros would score 72/73.

When the long games slightly off a good short game can keep you in with a chance of winning rather than just making a decent cheque.