The Sunday of the PGA Championship week turned out to be a momentous day for golf. It showcased the changing landscape of the sport. Jason Day won the final major of the season, but by finishing solo second, 22-year-old Jordan Spieth became the second youngest world No 1 ever.
A couple of hours later, on the west coast city of Portland, Oregon, 17-year-old Canadian amateur Brooke Henderson won the Portland Classic on the LPGA Tour by a whopping margin of eight shots. It was a performance so majestic that LPGA Commissioner was forced to grant her membership despite not reaching the mandatory age of 18.
Across the Atlantic, another 17-year-old, Germany’s Dominic Foos who spends considerable time in Dubai coaching under Justin Parsons at the Butch Harmon School of Golf, became the youngest champion in the history of the extremely competitive Challenge Tour.
With his win at the PGA Championship, Day moved to No 3 in the world, which meant that it was only the second time in the history of the world rankings that the top-three players were all in their 20s – Spieth (22), Rory McIlroy (26) and Day (27). The only other instance was in 1998, when midway through the season, Tiger Woods (22), Ernie Els (29) and David Duval (27) were Nos 1, 2 and 3.
When Woods went on top of the rankings in 1997 as a 21-year-old, he was regarded as a freak case. It just created a paradigm shift in the game. Even in the early 1990s, golfers were supposed to reach their peak in the mid-30s. The arrival of Woods changed the demographics of the sport. Just look at the game today.
Two of the last three men’s world No1s – Spieth and McIlroy – reached that position at the age of 22, while the top-ranked ladies golfer – Lydia Ko of New Zealand – is only 17. McIlroy, now looked upon by many as a seasoned veteran having turned professional nine years ago, has acknowledged Woods several times as the biggest factor in making golf young.
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“Tiger just changed everything. He made golf cool. So many young kids my age wanted to be like him and win like him. Players now come out on the Tour with high expectations and wanting to win,” the four-time major champion had admitted after winning his first professional golf tournament – the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic.
Parsons feels one of the biggest reasons contributing towards the trend is the quality of coaching and the access to information today’s young players get.
“It’s just incredible what’s happening with golf. A bit of it is a reflection of the modern ways of life. We have seen it over the past 25-30 years. Whether it is the pressures of modern life, or whether it is the access to information, but that’s how our species is…I think we are maturing faster in every walk of life,” says Parsons.
“In golf, I have no doubt that modern coaching techniques have played a major role. Young players are just so much more prepared for professional golf these days compared to a couple of decades ago. The modern coaches, aided by a team of other people, help players understand the game better and think better. They know what to expect on the Tour, their decision-making is better, they are fitter, they speak to media better and they even eat better.
“Most coaches have been there and done that. They have so much more data to work with. The mistakes are exposed early and a lot of talent that would have slipped through the cracks in the years gone by, doesn’t. Some young players are often called robotic because of how good they are. Actually, they are just highly trained and hence thorough in whatever they do.
“The modern game has become so much more explosive and dynamic and these 20-25 year olds are very well equipped to exploit that. With the exception of Spieth, whose scrambling abilities are just off the chart, most of these young guys are scoring so well because they are hitting the ball well.”
The legendary Gary Player feels that the game is only going to get younger as the interest grows in Asian countries.
“You are already seeing it happen. That young man (Guan Tianlang) making the cut at The Masters at the age of 14 just shows what they are capable of doing. Can you imagine it? You don’t even dare to dream of playing the Augusta National course at that age, and this little boy goes and makes the cut despite being given a two-shot penalty rather unfairly,” says the nine-time major champion.
“It has got to do with the mindset of the Asian parents and also the commitment shown by the kids there. The parents want their children to be the very best at what they do, and they will make any sacrifice to make sure they are provided every tool to become successful.
“And the kids? I will tell you this, I have been to cities in China and India and I have been part of various junior clinics. The talent there is just phenomenal, and the kids are so driven.”
So, how much lower can they go? Is there a possibility of a teenager winning a major championship in the near future? Parsons has a theory.
“For Guan to drive the ball 250 yards and still make the cut at the Masters was an astonishing achievement, but given the way courses are set up in men’s golf, I don’t think you can have someone as young as 16 or 17 winning majors,” he adds.
“You will have the occasional results like Guan, but you really have to hit it 280-plus yards off the tee to have a chance to compete against guys as good as Rory and others, who are hitting it 325 yards and more.
“But I was at Turnberry this year for the Women’s British Open, and the way courses are set up in the ladies’ game, you have a chance to win if you have a good short game. You do not have to hit it miles. And that’s why I think we will have more teenage major ladies champions than men.”
