Imagine you had the ability to create the world’s greatest ever golfer by putting together the different components from other players that make them so talented, into one single golfer for the modern epoch. What a tough decision to make from all of the greatest players of the modern era to play the game!

 

Who would you choose to have drive the ball? Play iron shots? Pepper the pin with wedges, craft rescue shots from the sand and rough of unbelievable skill? Whose physical abilities and mental strengths would you want and lastly, who would you want the ability of to putt the ball into the hole to record the win?

It’s an unenviable task, but it is one that we at Gorilla Golf will not shy away from as we bring you our idea of the perfect golfer.

1. Physique & Natural Ability: Our choice would be the lithe elegance of Rory McIlroy

 

Tiger Woods may run him close and there’s little doubting that the likes of Ian Woosnam, Craig Stadler or Tim Herron would not get onto this list but when it comes to physique and sheer natural ability, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, 2012 World Number One, is the man we’d select.

McIlroy has the perfect golf physique, not too short, not too tall and with a simple, yet mightily effective swing that is efficient, long and accurate. Allied to his seemingly genetic predisposition to winning and playing incredible golf shots, we’d take Rory’s natural ability over the more cultivated, but no less impressive, gait of Tiger, but it is mighty close indeed.

Besides, there is always the possibility that Mr Woods may make an appearance somewhere else in this list!

 

2. Mental Strength: Our choice would be the single-minded determination of Luke Donald

 

Former world number one Luke Donald is one of those players fortunate enough to be blessed with one of the most underrated of golfing gifts, uncompromisable composure.

It doesn’t matter what the course or conditions throw at him, whether he has just shot a 62, or  (more rarely) a 76, Donald’s demeanour on course or off it never changes. He is never too carried away when he shoots low, nor does he get overly frustrated when the ball does not run his way.

Donald’s temperament allows him to retain the physical composure he needs to be one of the most consistent golfers in the world today. He may no longer be number 1 in the world in ranking, but when it comes to steely composure, resolve and nerves of steel, Luke is our undeniable first choice.

 

3.  Driving the ball: Our choice would be the consistency and distance of Lee Westwood

 

It’s incredible to think that Lee Westwood never picked up a golf club before his 13th birthday, yet this likeable golfer from Worksop, Nottinghamshire became not only the world’s number 1 golfer for a short time, but also has earned a reputation as being the most consistent driver of a golf ball on the tour today.

Certainly, other players may hit the ball longer, Rory McIlroy,  Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson can whack the ball prodigious distances, but when it comes to a combination of decent length from the tee and unerring accurracy, especially when it really matters, Westwood is the king amongst his peers.

Over the last few years, Westwood’s play from tee to green has been arguably the best in the major tournaments of any player and he is the man who’s skills we’d love to have with the driver on our hand on that crucial 18th and final hole.

 

4. Fairway Wood & Iron shots: Our choice would be the length and accuracy of Tiger Woods

 

When it comes to striking an iron long, true and accurately, there are some outstanding practitioners. Traditionalists may argue that some of the olden days players, such as the revered likes of Ben Hogan, Johnny Miller, Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus were great iron players, but in the modern era, we’d select Tiger Woods’ abilities when he has the blades or fairway woods in his hand.

Woods’ all round game is so good that he is a contender in almost every department here and that is testament to his incredible ability as a golfer. Yet it is the sheer number and variety of his iron shots and fairway wood thumps that pepper the flag, often from vast distances away from the hole, that have made us select him here, such as this miracle shot shown above from the 2011 Masters tournament.

 

5. Wedge shots: Our choice would be the flag-peppering genius of Phil Mickelson.

 

This was arguably the easiest of all the qualities to pick for our super-golfer as when it comes to using a wedge around the green, American ace Phil Mickelson has proven he has few equals over the past 15 years or so.

Indeed, sights like the video above, when Mickelson chipped in at both the 17th and 18th hole at Doral in 2009 for birdie at both on his way to a round of 65 and a share of the lead. Indeed, so good is Mickelson in situations like this that there is an air of hushed anticipation every time he lines up a chip shot now.

 

6. Rescue shots: Our choice would be the abilities of Severiano Ballesteros

 

Again, this was another simple choice for us to make. While Luke Donald may lay justifiable claim to being the best player when in trouble around the green, based on performance and stats, there is no doubting that the late, great Seve Ballesteros was touched with genius when it came to conjuting up rescue shots.

When faced with the shot in the video above, most players would take their punishment and chip out safely to the left. Not Seve, who time after time conjured up shots of such breathtaking ingenuity that his occasionally errant driving would sometimes not affect his final score too unduly.

 

7. Putting: Our choice would be the ball-sinking skills of Tiger Woods

 

Lastly, the final aspect of our unbeatable golfer would have to be nerves of steel on the putting green and an ability to sink the ball from anywhere on the surface and while there have been some good putters over the years, Brad Faxon notably being one, when it comes to sinking crunch putts under pressure, nobody has done this better or more often than Tiger Woods.

In one remarkable season, Woods made every single putt he faced of three feet and under and sunk many a great deal longer and his consistency on the greens as much as his spectacular iron and wood play has made him the superstar that he is today.

 

So that’s our perfect golfer from the modern era, who would you pick for yours?