You know they pay attention to each other.
They know what the other guy is doing.
“They” are golf’s young guns, the new generation, the next wave of excitement, the “must watch” players.
They are Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and to some degree — Rickie Fowler.
Three of them will be in a showdown starting Wednesday night in the States, Thursday in the realm of Abu Dhabi.
Showdown In The Desert.
With the huge Falcon Clubhouse watching their shots and record crowds anticipated at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, it’s an early season meeting for these guys at the HSBC Golf Championship, perhaps somewhat of a preview into the majors of 2016.
It will be up-close and personal. Spieth, McIlroy and Fowler will be playing together for the first two rounds.
What they will find in Abu Dhabi is a club that is manicured and pampered to the extent where money is no object. Greens roll like billiard tables. The appearance fees are pretty solid, too. In his prime, Tiger Woods would command $2 million to show up at this event.
This one’s not about the prize money. At $2.7 million total for the entire purse, it’s poverty wages by PGA Tour standards. This one’s about McIlroy looking for a big season like the one Spieth had last year. “I’m sure there’s very few people working harder than he is to make this season his best season yet,” Spieth said of the young Northern Irishman. “Which is scary,” he added. “Hopefully I can prevent that to an extent,” he said, adding his own ambition for another big year.
McIlroy put in a solid week’s worth of range work prior to catching a private jet to Abu Dhabi. “My office the past week, got some great work done. Loving the new Trackman with dual radar too. Ready for 2016,” McIlroy put on his Twitter account.
Spieth couldn’t help but have a little fun while he gave a phone presser for the Valspar tournament last week. When it was pointed out he’d be facing Rory in the desert, Spieth quipped: “I didn’t know he was playing. I’ll probably withdraw now.”
His tongue-in-cheek comment drew the appropriate amount of laughter.
No laughing matter when it comes to the competition this week. McIlroy, Spieth and Fowler aren’t the only big names in the field. Add Henrik Stenson, ranked fifth in the world, one spot in front of Fowler.
Spieth showed he’s already in winning form and Fowler played well in Hawaii.
As for McIlroy, the eyes of the golf world will be on him.
This is his turn to show up and show off.
