It’s a little odd to think that some of the best players in the world could be considered underachievers but that’s just how tough the game of golf is right now. While we had some of the most amazing golfers in history grace the fairways throughout the 80s and 90s, the current crop of players have taken things up a notch. In fact, in terms of fitness levels alone, they’ve really turned the sport into one dominated by elite athletes.
So with this in mind, it’s a little easier to imagine that players currently in the upper echelons of the game aren’t living up to expectations. Sure they’re playing well enough, but a few aren’t quite living up to the high standards they themselves have set.
Rory McIlroy
Rory took the golf world by storm when he burst onto the scene and began picking up wins left, right, and center. He held the top position in golf for an incredible 95 weeks and won his four majors from 2011 to 2014. And at that point, every single person with an interest in golf assumed that we had just been introduced to the new Tiger Woods.
But his form since then has been erratic to say the least. He has finished well on Tour but when it comes to majors, the Northern Irishman just can’t seem to find his mojo again. Although a good start to 2019 saw him installed as the favorite in the first Open Championship to be held in Northern Ireland since 1951. A look at Oddschecker though tells us that his poor start (he hit a spectator with his first shot) has seen him drop out of the bookies reckoning.
Rory set his own standards with that incredible run of four majors in three years. But until he wins another, he’ll be considered an underachiever. Love him or hate him, you can’t help but feel for the man who looked like the world was his oyster just 5 short years ago.
Sergio Garcia
He’s the arch-nemesis of Tiger Woods and the player that every American golf fan loves to hate. He has an incredible record in the Ryder Cup but his constant collapses in major tournaments make Sergio Garcia a shoo-in as one of the biggest underachievers in the sport. He’s a great golfer but boy, does he know how to screw things up.
In a recent interview Garcia said that during his winning performance at the Masters, he tried not to let the memories of when he was really close enter his mind. He has even admitted on several occasions that he’s simply not good enough to win majors. He says he doesn’t like playing on his own (bizarrely) and that’s why he doesn’t win as much. We reckon it’s more to do with that explosive temper of his, but what do we know? Either way, the man should have at least four majors to his name to add to all those Ryder Cup wins.
Rickie Fowler
What can we say about Rickie Fowler that hasn’t already been said? The man that some even suggested was overachieving by being where he is (ridiculous we know) has never won a major. This year at the US Open, there were hopes that he’d build on his one-shot lead, but it was a familiar tale for Fowler at the majors. Great start, poor finish.
Fowler is one of the most talented golfers and the current reigning ‘best player to have never won a major’. He’s hugely popular on the tour and a major win would finally see him fulfill his awesome potential. But that’s just the problem. At 31, he’s no longer a young player full of potential. It’s true that Fowler has had a great career, but unless he picks up that elusive major, he’ll look back on his career with huge regret.
Dustin Johnson
DJ is one of the most enigmatic players the game has ever seen. He has bags of talent and keeps putting himself in the frame for big wins but his sole major win isn’t enough to shake that underachiever tag. Unlike Fowler, DJ has been in contention for a plethora of majors going into the final few holes but he just can’t seem to get over that hump.
Johnson, like McIlroy, is a ‘victim’ of his own talents. Such a naturally gifted golfer will always be expected to win but it doesn’t always work out that way. However, with his steady form on the PGA and the fact that he rarely seems fazed by anything, it’s seems to be just a matter of time before the second, third, and perhaps even fourth major wins come along.
So there you have it, the sport’s biggest underachievers. We see hope for three of the men on the list above, but for Sergio Garcia, one major is probably as much as his temperament can handle. Of the three others, we’d most like to see Fowler kick on and get that big win. What do you think?
