Sports
Sources: Collier back to Lynx on supermax deal
Napheesa Collier signs supermax contract to return to the Lynx
ESPN News1 min read
Sports
Why Rory McIlroy is much more popular than Scottie Scheffler as Arnold Palmer comparison is made
TL;DR
Rory McIlroy has drawn comparisons to Arnold Palmer after winning the Masters for the second consecutive year, becoming only the fourth player to achieve this feat. His journey included a six-shot lead at the halfway point, but he finished tied for the lead going into the final round.
Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images
Rich Beem has compared Rory McIlroy with Arnold Palmer following his latest Masters victory, while he has explained a key difference between the Northern Irishman and Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy has proven all of those who felt that his first Masters win would remove the shackles right. The 36-year-old became only the fourth player ever to win at Augusta National in successive years.
Obviously, McIlroy did not make it easy on himself at times over the past week. He became the first player to ever open up a six-shot lead at the halfway stage, but went into the final round tied at the top with Cameron Young.
It also seemed that he was set to play himself out of the tournament after playing the fourth, fifth, and sixth hole in three over par on Sunday. However, McIlroy was able to steady the ship.
Rory McIlroy compared with Arnold Palmer after his Masters victory
The final leaderboard shows that he won by just one shot. But in truth, McIlroy was relatively comfortable over the last hour, particularly in comparison with 12 months ago when he seemed absolutely desperate to throw it away.
No male player in the modern game, other than Tiger Woods, now has more majors than Rory McIlroy. Meanwhile, there are just 11 names ahead of the world number two on the all-time list.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
And speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Rich Beem predicted that McIlroy will achieve even more in the years to come.
“He’s going to be up there. I think he’s going to make more history. As of right now, I think he is in history as one of the all-time greats. He just does it his own way,” he said.
“He’s a lot like a modern day Palmer, where he’s not going to back down, trying to take a lead and make it bigger, or he’s going to go down swinging. I think that’s the one thing Palmer, he won so many times, but he lost so many times as well, didn’t he. I think that’s what the fans love. This is no stick on Scottie Scheffler, but boring doesn’t sell. Rory sells, he ain’t boring, man.”
Every male player to have won more majors than Rory McIlroy after his sixth triumph
McIlroy now finds himself alongside Phil Mickelson, Sir Nick Faldo, and Lee Trevino on six major wins. He is, however, the only six-time champion to have completed the Career Grand Slam.
The likes of Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazen, and Sam Snead have won seven majors. Bobby Jones and Harry Vardon also reached that total.
Tom Watson is the only eight-time major champion, with the American winning The Open Championship on five occasions.
Both Ben Hogan and Gary Player completed the Career Grand Slam and have nine majors each.
But there are just three male golfers who have reached double figures, with Walter Hagen winning 11.
Of course, Tiger Woods on 15 and Jack Nicklaus on 18 have opened up a remarkable gap. But there is arguably no reason why McIlroy cannot set his sights on becoming only the fourth man to win at least 10 majors.
Q&A
Why is Rory McIlroy compared to Arnold Palmer?
Rory McIlroy is compared to Arnold Palmer due to his recent Masters victory and his charismatic presence in golf, reminiscent of Palmer's impact on the sport.
What record did Rory McIlroy achieve at the Masters?
Rory McIlroy became only the fourth player in history to win the Masters in consecutive years.
How did Rory McIlroy perform during the Masters tournament?
McIlroy opened with a six-shot lead at the halfway stage but ended the tournament tied for the lead going into the final round.
What distinguishes Rory McIlroy from Scottie Scheffler?
Rich Beem highlighted that McIlroy's popularity and historical achievements set him apart from Scottie Scheffler, particularly in the context of their performances at major tournaments.
