Before the start of the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy -- still the No. 1-ranked player in the world despite missing almost two months because of an ankle injury -- delivered an astute piece of media and cultural criticism when he was asked what he thought about Jordan Spieth's recent rise and our fickle attention spans. His tone wasn't defensive. But it was the verbal equivalent of a raised eyebrow, or a bemused shrug of the shoulders.
"We live in such a world where everything is so reactionary and everything happens so quickly," McIlroy said. "A year ago, I won this tournament and it was 'The Rory Era.' Then Jordan wins the Masters and it's 'The Jordan Era.' Eras last about six months these days instead of 20 years. But that's just the way the world is. With social media and everything having to be instant, it's the world that we live in."
McIlroy is right, of course. When he won back-to-back majors to close out 2014, the golf world acted as if Tiger Woods' true heir had finally arrived. Nike even made a commercial about it. Then Spieth ripped up the script by winning the Masters, winning the U.S. Open, and making a serious charge at The Open in St. Andrews, ultimately finishing 1 shot out of a playoff while McIlroy sat at home watching on television.
It shouldn't matter whose "era" this is, an arbitrary and virtually meaningless distinction anyway. Instead, we ought to enjoy the fact that two great players -- both of whom figure to be viewed, one day, as all-time greats -- are arm wrestling for majors and are likely to continue doing so over the next decade.
However, after watching them play together for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, here is the best way to compare and contrast them:
1. No one in golf hits the ball better than McIlroy does when he's focused, when he's swinging in rhythm, and when he's healthy. The lines he takes off the tee with his driver, and the height he gets with his irons, is almost surreal. Watching it on television barely does it justice. It's like trying to describe the way a great steak tastes by showing someone a picture of a steak in a magazine. Even Spieth admitted he was in awe of some of McIlroy's shots Friday. "Watching him drive the golf ball is just inspirational," Spieth said.
2. Despite all that, Spieth is the better golfer. He, not McIlroy, is the best player in the world, despite what the rankings say. And this would be true even if McIlroy hadn't injured his ankle six weeks ago. The first two rounds of the PGA, where Spieth and McIlroy played together and Spieth was 4 shots better, is the latest example.