With Tiger Woods "hobbled by injury and Phil Mickelson not getting any younger, golf has lost much of its star power," and to "rise above the crowd, the next superstar will have to win consistently, win at the majors and offer something extra," according to David Wharton of the L.A. TIMES. Golfer Rory McIlroy said, "Of course I want to be that guy. Golf is waiting for someone like that to step forward, put up their hand and win the big tournaments." So far this season, five of the PGA Tour's 15 official tournaments "have come down to sudden-death playoffs." While a three-man playoff at last week's Northern Trust Open "boosted TV ratings, a victory by relative unknown James Hahn isn't likely to resonate with fans in the long term." Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee said, "What's going to separate a player is that connection to the audience." Wharton noted Golf HOFer Arnold Palmer in the '50s "built his following" into "Arnie's Army," fans who "related to Palmer's down-to-earth persona and less-than-textbook mechanics." In the "old days, Chi Chi Rodriguez had flair and Lee Trevino never seemed to worry about containing his vibrant personality." Even Woods, whose image was "carefully managed in the early years, brought a fist-pumping intensity to a gentleman's pastime." More recently, Mickelson has "played the role of the mad scientist, viewing the game from innovative angles, inventing shots as he goes." Looking ahead, if the "colorful" Rickie Fowler or the "fiery Patrick Reed can win more often, that might add spice to the Tour." McIlroy gets "high marks for being talented, personable and candid with the media." But it "says something about his appeal that he made as much news for breaking up with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki as for anything he has done on the course" (L.A. TIMES, 3/1).
JUST GETTING STARTED: GOLF.com's weekly roundtable discussed 17-year-old LPGA player Lydia Ko, who is ranked No. 1 in the world and Sunday won the New Zealand Open, her 10th professional title. SI's Gary Van Sickle said, "Ko is the brightest young talent the LPGA has seen since Michelle Wie. She has superstar potential and we're going to be lucky enough to watch her go after it." SI's Jeff Ritter added, "Ko has absolutely arrived, but somehow the mainstream hasn't latched onto her yet. ... If she was an American she'd likely be more of a household name -- but it's time to crank up the marketing machine here." GOLF.com's Coleman McDowell: "Does Ko ... have to win a major in 2015 to be considered a superstar? For most pundits, yes, and when she does this year and becomes the youngest major champ in LPGA history, there won't be any more debate" (GOLF.com, 3/2).
