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Average Winning Age.. worrying?


Mcilroy (PGA Championship)

Since Woods dominance from 2000 onwards, the average winning age on tour has gradually got younger and younger. Golf has always been known as a sport where age is only a number. The peak golf age was 36, now if you're not a major winner by the age of 30 you're a failure? I had a recent conversation with a recreational golfer who told me Rory Mcilroy is finished. Yes, let that sink in, Rory Mcilroy, who got injured early in the year and got married and has 4 major titles and 13 PGA tour wins by the age of 28 is finished...

Tiger Woods, now nearly 42 years old, changed the game with his fitness levels, mentality and ability to close out seemingly every time he led a tournament. He has missed virtually 5 years of his golfing career through different issues and hasn't won a major in almost 10 years. Yet he is 3 wins off the all time record of Sam Snead who finished third in the PGA Championship aged 62. And also just 4 major wins of Jack Nicklaus record of 18. Lest we forget arguably Nicklaus' most memorable major win came at the age of 46 years old in the 1986 Masters. What I am saying is, should Woods get back to full health, why can't he dominate the sport for 10 years again?? after all he revolutionized the fitness element along with Gary Player, So why can't he do it again? If other great players did it why can't Woods? I mean, its not as if golf is physically demanding, you don't have to be a top level athlete to swing a club? yes being stronger and fitter helps, but sure Phil Mickelson wouldn't be an athlete but he looked after his body and he is a contender. I suppose the meaning of all this and where I see a problem in junior golf is although players are younger and better, are they burning out to soon? an under 13's event in Ireland shooting under par was not good enough to win. Yet the rate of return for top level golfers on tour is very small. Are junior golfers being put under pressure to early, if they are not world beaters by 20 are they losing interest? Should we not be putting pressure on them to be the best to early? and should we let them learn their way by playing and enjoying their junior golf as oppose to be being putting under mental strain so young?.. Playing junior events and trying to win them is great and I love seeing that, but let them practice and play and find the clubface themselves. They can be given all the advice, but at the end they have to find out themselves, they can't be pressurised in to believing that if their score average isn't 69 at 20 they are not good enough. Hard work is so important, but maintaining your desire and love the sport I feel is the biggest of all to make it in this game.


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