Rory Mcilroy and Tiger Woods

After his performance in the U.S. Open last week, many pundits were comparing Rory Mcilroy to Tiger Woods.  (Actually, TV color man, Johnny Miller and others were making the comparisons during his performance.)

Yes, both players won their first major tournament at an early age.  And both players have won a major in dominating fashion.  Both players have a remarkable ability to hit the golf ball.  (In a sport dominated by the elite of the elite, talent-wise, these two guys have shown “other-worldly” skills.)

However, the comparisons end there.

While Tiger Woods prowled around with a stern scowl on his face, intimidating opponents and refusing to show kindness to the fans who have made him a billionaire, Rory Mcilroy is a nice guy, who displays kindness to everyone.  And it’s not fake. It’s just the way he is.

The week before the U.S. Open, Mcilroy went to Haiti to help those who are still hurting from the earthquake that shook their world.

When did we ever see Tiger do something like this?  No, instead Tiger created his own damaging earthquake when he decided to keep a collection of girlfriends on the side. That prompted his ex-wife to chase him from their Orlando home one Thanksgiving eve, armed with a 7-iron.  When the befuddled Woods ran his SUV into a tree, a seismic event rippled through the sports world.

While Tiger was carrying on with his harem, he made the pretense of being a solid family man, committed solely to his wife and two children.

That’s what bugs me most about Tiger.  He is two-faced.  When he does interviews, he acts.  It’s a put-on.  It’s not the real Tiger.  (The real Tiger is the one who wouldn’t even treat one of his girl friends to dinner.)

With Rory, you just know that you’re dealing with a genuine, good guy.  No pretense.  No airs.  No phony-baloney.  The real deal.

So while they are both stellar golfers, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to class and authenticity.

I doubt that Tiger Woods will ever win another major.

I hope Rory Mcilroy wins a bunch of them.