Northern Irish players taking charge of the game of golf
After ruling the golf world for years, the United States is rapidly losing ground, as Europe has come out as a new region that is producing competent golfers with skills to keep their US rivals at bay. However, one European country that has proved its worth
by churning out leading golfers is Northern Ireland.
Slumping rankings of the most of the top-class US golfers show that Northern Irish players have managed to gain the upper hand in recent years.
One of the leading players Northern Ireland has produced in recent years is Rory McIlroy. The 23-year-old McIlroy grabbed the headlines when he won the United States (US) Open in June, 2011. The victory in a major championship bolstered the young star's
ranking to an all-time high.
The same year witnessed him finishing second to Luke Donald in the Race to Dubai. Despite losing to Donald, he did not lose hope, and maintained consistency in his game to grab both the money titles on the PGA Tour, as well as on the European Tour, at the
end of the 2012 golf season.
In the meantime, he also surged to the top of the Official World Golf Rankings during the 2012 golf season, which speaks of his talent and ability to become one of the best players in the history of the game.
Other Northern Irish players, who have made a name for themselves, include Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell. Though McIlroy seems to have eclipsed Clarke and McDowell in terms of fanfare and ranking, the two experienced icons still have what it takes to
put their country in the limelight.
Darren Clarke, 44, is associated with the European Tour. Though he also played on the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Tour but most of the events he participated in are under the auspices of the European Tour. Clarke managed to rack up 22 win in
various events played on the European Tour, the Sunshine Tour and others.
However, the most spectacular achievement came when he grabbed his first major victory in the 2011 Open Championship. Since major events play an important role in bolstering a player's profile, Northern Irish golfers appear to have capitalised on this, proving
they can pose a threat to golfers from bigger countries like the United States and England.
In addition to a major win, the 44-year-old Clarke exhibited phenomenal performance in other events as well. For instance, he racked up World Golf Championship twice, boosting his position in the world ranking. Another huge achievement that bolstered Clarke's
image was winning WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship. The victory grabbed the headlines as he beat the former world number one Tiger Woods.
On the other hand, Graeme McDowell has also managed to draw attention due to his remarkable performance. The 33-year-old Northern Irishman is best known for his victory in the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2010. In addition to winning a major event, he had
received the Haskins Award in 2000.
With Northern Irish players gaining ground rapidly, American golfers appear to be in trouble as they see their supremacy deteriorate.
If looked at the official World Golf Rankings chart, it shows that five of the top 10 positions are held by players who do not belong to the Unites States, which is something unusual when compared to the past. Recently, Tiger Woods of the United States clichéd
back the top spot in the rankings, however, it is believed that Rory McIlroy still has the ability to become the world number one again.
Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Race to Dubai, PGA Tour, Official World Golf Rankings , Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke, World Golf Championship, Tiger Woods
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