That is the question of the year.
By Herschel Caldwell
Much has been written about the current group of top ranked players and their potential to reach the heights of golf achievement enjoyed by the legends of the past. Greatness in any sport especially in individual sports like golf and one’s legacy is determined by the number of professional wins, number of majors and time ranked as the number one player in the world rankings.
Just for kicks, let’s take a look at the number of players ranked as number one in the past ten years and the number of players ranked number one for the previous ten years: There have been twenty six changes in the number one ranking since 2005 held by no less than eleven players: Greg Norman, Ernie, Els, V.J. Singh and Tiger Woods held the title prior to 2008. Since 2008 to present: Tiger Woods, V.J. Singh, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Martin Kaymer, Jordon Spieth, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, and Justin Thomas. And Dustin Johnson again this week** Wikipedia**
Of course there are the typical arguments comparing the level of competition between then and now. However when one compares the common treads linking the premier players we find several things they all have in common. This article will focus on only two aspects of what separates the great players of the last generation from those who aspire to that level of greatness.
The practice, work ethic, and commitment owing to the greats like Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Bobby Jones, Calvin Peete, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and the many other greats of the past is well documented. This article takes a look at three of the past and present great players and when compared to the record (s) of the current group of highly talented PGA Professionals, the question in our headline answers itself.
It’s 36 holes – and lots of practice – for young Jack
Jack took up golf, his boyhood summers were devoted to the sport. Here’s an average summer day (as outlined by the Nicklaus Museum in Columbus, Ohio):
Time Activity
7:30 a.m. – Walk to Scioto Country Club and hit golf balls
8:00 a.m. -Play 18 holes
11:30 a.m. -Hit golf balls
12:30 p.m. -Putting practice
1:00 p.m. -Lunch
1:30 p.m.-Instruction with head pro Jack Grout
2:30 p.m.-Play 18 holes
6:00 p.m. -Hit golf balls
6:30 p.m. -Walk home for family dinner
7:30 p.m. -Walk back to Scioto and hit golf balls
8:30 p.m. -Walk home
According to the Nicklaus Museum, a young Nicklaus once played 61 holes in a single day. And from 1952–57, Jack usually competed in at least one tournament a week from June to September.
Ben Hogan Became A Champion By Practicing 12 Hours A Day: Master Of The Game
Hogan! For years, the very name– Hogan– made strong men tremble. The men who pioneered tournament golf.
Before and after World War II; before and after the 1949 auto accident that nearly killed him; before Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus–and after Bobby Jones–Texas’ Ben Hogan was the most feared competitor in the game.
They called him the Hawk. And they knew that even on their best days, the Hawk would probably get them anyhow. He once won the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open the same year.
Even though he’s slipped off the top perch in recent years because of injuries and off-the-course issues, Tiger Woods hasn’t forgotten about the days when he was the most physically dominant golfer on the PGA Tour.
Woods had the chance to remind himself of those peak years recently when he was traveling with fellow golfer Justin Thomas—who is pretty physically fit himself—and revealed the daily routine he used to stay in shape in an interview with the Golf Channel.
Thomas, who won the 2017 PGA Championship and added 15lbs of muscle to his frame last season, asked Woods, “What did you used to do when you were about my age?”
Here was Woods’ answer:
“Well, I used to get up in the morning, run four miles,” Woods said. “Then I’d go to the gym, do my lift. Then I’d hit balls for two to three hours. I’d go play, come back, and work on my short game. I’d go run another four more miles, and then if anyone wanted to play basketball or tennis, I would go play basketball or tennis. That was a daily routine. I’m not doing any of that now.”
Rory McIlroy’s gym and golf practice schedule has been released and it will put some of our daily workouts to shame as he prepares for the US Masters.
A 5:30am wake up call for a 6:30am gym session and a 10pm bed-time are the highlights as reported by the Mirror, as McIlroy aimed to win the coveted Masters at Augusta for the first time and a second US Open which starts this Thursday.
McIlory’ Schedule:
5:30 am Wake up — light breakfast
6:30 am Hit the gym; running and mobility training/stability exercises
7.30 am Eat larger breakfast with recovery drink
9:00 am Course/Practice
Noon Lunch
1.30 pm Course/Practice
4.00 pm Mid-afternoon snack
4.45 pm Main workout
6.30 pm Dinner
10:00 pm Bed
Even as talented as the young PGA professionals are today and some are more so than others, there is still a gap between the total commitment to the game as exhibited by the likes of Hogan, Nicklaus, Palmer, Trevino, Watson, Player and Woods in the days when they totally dominated the sport. Winning does not come by desire alone, talent alone, opportunity alone, believing alone or anything “alone”. Winning and rising to the top and staying there for unbelievable periods requires much more than all the above.
Getting to the top and staying there or reaching your goals require the kind of sacrifice not found in technique, good coaching or the beats equipment. It’s an intangible quality found only in the few to ever achieve a level of accomplishment the rest of us marvel over.
