Silverman: Day, Spieth, McIlroy Carry Golf With Style In 'Post-Tiger Era'
By Steve Silverman
» More Columns
Do we call it the post-Tiger era?
Tiger Woods is a 40-year-old man who hasn't been in his top form at any major since 2008. He didn't play in last year's Masters, and he's not playing this time around, either.
WATCH: Live Masters Coverage
When he does come back to the PGA Tour, is there any reason to believe that he will be anything close to the form that made him one of the sport's all-time legendary figures?
That's a question to be considered, but one of the questions that does not have to be answered is how the sport will survive without Woods.
There are three brilliant players who are at the top of their game who can carry the sport for years. Their names are Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
In addition to the modern-day Big Three, there are superb supporting players such as Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott.
Not to mention a superb war horse in Phil Mickelson.
The game is in great shape for the future even if Woods can't recapture the form that puts him into the all-time foursome with Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. Apologies to Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead.
Spieth is a polished golfer who hits the ball with accuracy and is just a superb putter. If he emerges as the best of the trio, it will probably be the result of his ability with the flat stick. Spieth simply does not miss the short putts, is a good bet to make the 10- to 15-footers and probably will make more 20-footers than anyone else.
MORE: Liguori: Scary Part Is, Spieth Made His Fast Start At Masters Look Easy
Spieth hits the ball well off the tee, but he does not have exceptional power. He limits his mistakes tee to green, comes up with occasional eye-catching shots and putts like a demon.
Day has all the skills that a golfer could hope to have. He ranks at least a nine on a scales of one to 10 in basically all the categories. He gets the check mark in distance, power, accuracy, touch, putting stroke and overall game management. When he won the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin last August, he was under tremendous pressure because the best players in the world were pushing him severely.
Day reacted to that pressure by playing some of the best golf ever seen at any major tournament.
McIlroy has already won three of the four majors, and he will gain the career grand slam whenever he earns his first green jacket.
McIlroy has been impressive because of his tremendous swing speed, power and clutch play, but he has a tendency to get wild, which has cost him in recent majors. McIlroy often flashes his talent by playing three or perhaps three-and-a-half strong rounds. However, he is likely to have a bit of a walk-about for a half-round, and that can cost him a chance at victory.
It seems to be a problem that McIlroy can correct in the short term. His swing is just too good for this problem to proliferate over the long run.
These are the golfers that will carry the sport for the next five to 10 years, and they will clearly get challenged by the Watsons, Fowlers and Stensons, and other young superstars-in-training are always on the horizon.
Woods may never return to championship form in the majors, but don't think for a second that the sport of golf is about to go into a decline. The post-Tiger era appears to be stellar.
Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy