Dear PGA, golf writers, Spieth and McIlroy, yes, we have a rivalry

Jordan Spieth (corrected throughout), after winning the Masters, downplayed the idea that he was in Rory McIlroy's league.

Rory, the week before the just-passed U.S. Open, did a LeBron James and claimed to be the best in golf.

Well, Rory couldn't putt well and LeBron James couldn't carry a team forced to start Matthew Dellavedova and others.

That said, let's start with some 21st century golf history.

Since the turn of the calendar, five people have won back-to-back majors. Tiger Woods has done it multiple times, most recently at the 2006 Open and PGA. Phil did it before him once, with the 2005 PGA and 2006 Masters.

We've had three others, all since Tiger's last major.

The first is Padraig Harrington, with the 2008 Open and PGA.

And, in the last year, we've had the last four majors won with two back-to-backs.

And, both McIlroy and Spieth are, at a minimum, better than Harrington and at least as good as Philly Mick. Both of them.

We have a rivalry,  And, yes, per this Irish Times piece, it's what we've been waiting for. And, Spieth is still downplaying it somewhat, but not as much as two months ago. Whether it's true humility, a psychological control mechanism for himself, a bit of anti-Rory or a combo of all of the above and more, I don't know. But, Jordan? You're part of a rivalry now.

Further proof of that? Spieth has closed McIlroy's once-massive gap in the Overall World Golf Rankings to less than two points.

Everybody's been wondering if Rory is the next Tiger or Jack. What if, instead, he's the next Arnie, aka a step up from Phil, and Speith is the next Tiger or Jack? After all, after two early U.S. Open wins, a lot of people thought Ernie Els was the next wunderkind, and Tiger then blew his doors off.

Back to the current rivalry, and Rory's comments a week ago.

Golf is an individual, not a team sport. Rory's not lugging around Delly, the highly inconsistent J.R. Smith, or the players formerly known as Mike Miller and Shawn Marion. He's in this solo.

Sure, Rory's arguably got the best swing in the game today. But, maybe he's not as much a "grinder" as Spieth. Or he may let putting go by the wayside at times. In any case, maybe he needs the focus a real rivalry brings. And, maybe, per the last part of that last link, Jordan will have his own struggles in dealing with a new level of fame. Time's going to tell soon enough.

Spieth is already starting to enter the higher stratosphere, getting some free swag from Lions wideout Calvin Johnson, aka Megatron, after a shout-out to him. (And giving a shout-out to Stephen Curry.)

Finally, Spieth has Michael Greller. Rory doesn't.

It's arguable that Steve Williams helped Tiger indeed on winning a couple of his closer majors. The same may be true now.

Accenture-ate the FedEx Cup

This week's Accenture WGC Match Play golf tournament has many pro golfers, especially but not limited to Europeans, lamenting the lack of more match-play events on PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, more and more golf writers are getting tired of the barfolicious early-season flogging of the FedEx Cup, not just by the PGA Tour but also by CBS on broadcasts.

So, here's the solution.

Let's make the final day, say, of the Tour Championship, a 36-hole match play event. Top four (and ties) from the first three days qualify for a Sunday finale, all playing the same group. To keep it from bogging down too much, once a player is officially eliminated, he stops playing. Probably, after 30 holes, we'd be down to, say, 3 players.

Match play for $10 million? That would HUGELY jazz up the FedEx Cup. And, per Tiger Woods still not on top of his game at Accenture, we'd really see how much domination and intimidation mean.

Tiger Woods could fall to No. 3!!!

Been a while since this happened, but, if Martin Kaymer wins in Dubai tomorrow, he vaults past Tiger into No. 2 in the world rankings behind Lee Westwood. Given that he has a five-shot lead after three rounds, the tournament is his for the taking.

And, since Westwood is 19 shots off the pace, his reign as No. 1 may not last too long.

Phil Mickelson? Almost as far back as Westwood.

Update: It's official, as Kaymer smokes the field for an eight-shot win. It seriously would not at all surprise me for him to hit No. ! by the time of the U.S. Open. Philly Mick falls from T-4 to 5 and pooh-poohs it, talking about majors. Well, Phil, outside the Masters ,you have sucked, by and large, and you fade at the end of seasons anyway.

Also, I think McElroy's second place may have him in the world top 10 now.

Your 2011 golf No. 1 is .... ?

The way I see it, five golfers have a realistic shot at eh World No. 1 next year — Westwood, Woods, Mickelson, Kaymer and McDowell. The question is, how many will hold the honor, if only for one week, and who will hold it the most?

At ESPN, Bob Harig offers his take on who's most likely to break out. He and Jason Sobel devote an Alternate Shot duo column to more on this issue as well as other 2011 predictions.

My prediction? Everybody but Philly Mick will get it for at least a week, but he will continue to find ways not to. And Westwood will have the most weeks overall.

Let me have your thoughts in the polls at right.

Harig then discusses Tiger's 2011 possibilities.

Meanwhile, both Harig and Sobel offer their predictions about some up-and-comers.

Tiger vs Phil will have whole new angle in 2010

With the rumors that Tigers Woods was cheating on his wife,now followed by him entirely ducking the tournament, as host, not just as player, and, rumors that he could be subject to a police search warrant, the Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson story lines for 2010 will take a whole new angle.

Philly Mick will still refuse to put in the gym work that Tiger does. He'll never, unlike Vijay Singh, topple Tiger from No. 1 on the world rankings.

But, No. 1 on the fan list? Quite possible. With him taking a sabbatical last year to support his wife's battle against breast cancer, Mickelson has a distinct lead over Tiger on "Mr. Family Man" honors.

Get to a place like Augusta National Country Club in April, you may well see, and hear, a change of momentum in the galleries.

The PGA needs a Texas three-step — and Byron Nelson sponsorship

As part of revamping the FedEx schedule, PGA Commissioner Tim Finchen could create a Texas three-step of the Shell Houston Open, plus the Byron Nelson and the Colonial, between the Masters and the Players.

Oh, and with Hewlett-Packard buying EDS, and EDS already wanting more PGA support for the Nelson, what’s going to happen next?