Golf has always thrived when two or more powers collide. Hagen and Jones, Snead and Hogan, Nicklaus and Palmer or Watson or Player. Even Ronnie Corbett and Jimmy Tarbuck energised the Pro-Celebrity scene with their chortling, chuckling competitiveness and nip-and-tuck anecdotes back in the good old days.
By all accounts, the only show in Abu Dhabi this week is the showdown between Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy as the world No 1 and No 3 respectively cross clubs for the first time this season. Mind you, there have also been a few other notable things on show too; the knobbly knees of some of the world’s best golfers. For the first time, the European Tour allowed its members to wear shorts during practice rounds and at the pre-tournament Pro-Am after the relaxation of the dress code was ratified by the players’ tournament committee. While other professional sports may guffaw at the general absurdity of the notion that bearing your legs almost generates questions in Parliament, the move in a game which doesn’t do change very quickly is being viewed as a step forward in the battle to engage with a more youthful market.
Will it be McIlroy or Spieth who will be dressed for success this week? Only time will tell, of course, but the drooling, frenzied focus on this duo by all and sundry has neglected the fact that there is an impressive field lining up behind them. McIlroy is well aware of that. “I don't play the game on markers at all," said the Northern Irishman, who confirmed that he will give this season’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart a miss due to a hectic schedule that has been beefed up by golf’s inclusion in the Olympics. "I want to play my best, and I don't have to just beat Jordan Spieth this week. I have to beat another 142 guys. So it would be foolish of me to think that's all my competition is. I think it would be an injustice to every other player that's in the field because there's so much talent on tour and there's so much depth that it’s not very smart to forget about everyone else that could win the tournament.”
Will be having a few clashes with these boys this year! The race has started at #ADGolfChamps #AnyonesGame pic.twitter.com/xGkw3XyzHu
— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) January 19, 2016
The Rory and Jordan dust up in the desert is the one they’ve all come to see, though. For eager observers who spend their days gazing at statistics, facts and figures with the observational intensity of Edmond Halley peering at the stars, there are plenty of odds and ends to pore over as the head-to-head between these two shining golfing superstars prepares to get going.
Over the course of the past two years, McIlroy has contested 44 events to Spieth’s 57. Rory has enjoyed eight wins in that time while Jordan has racked up seven. The Northern Irishman has had 14 top-three finishes compared to his American rival’s 16. And McIlroy’s scoring average over this spell is 69.3 with Spieth coming in with 69.4. It’s a pretty close call and the global game continues to benefit from this exciting, engaging, friendly rivalry. McIlroy has been runner-up in Abu Dhabi four times and clearly relishes this particular sun-soaked stage. Spieth, meanwhile, showed no sign of easing up on the gas following his momentous 2015 by romping to an eight-shot win in Hawaii the other week. “I think there are two ways of going forward,” the 22-year-old said. “One is you can be satisfied and think about all the stuff you’ve done. Or two, you can look at what these guys who you’ve looked up to your whole life have accomplished more than you have.
“So look at Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson; this is still our generation, Tiger, Phil, Rory, these guys that have done more in the game of golf than I have and I want to strive to get to what they have done. I want my name to go down in history for as many things as it can.”
McIlroy and Spieth already clashed prior to the opening round when a light-hearted promotional birl about on some motorised scooters led to them dunting into each other. There will probably be a few more coming togethers as 2016 unravels.
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