Who Arnold Palmer claimed was the better player out of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy in 2015

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Arnold Palmer is an absolute legend of the game and it could be argued that he was the most popular player of all time.

Palmer had a huge following due to his affable nature and down-to-earth manner. Golf fans felt like he was ‘one of them’.

He left an indelible mark on the game of golf, and modern stars like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth looked up to ‘The King’, seeking advice from him when they were making their way on the PGA Tour.

The seven-time major champion, who sadly passed away in 2016, always found time to help out younger players.

Back in 2011, Palmer took the time to write McIlroy a letter of congratulations after the Northern Irishman’s US Open win at Congressional.

Palmer also gave Spieth advice about how to best navigate Augusta National before the 32-year-old Dallas native played his first Masters tournament more than a decade ago.

Back in 2015, both McIlroy and Spieth were widely regarded as two of the best four players in the world, alongside Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.

And Palmer had his say on who he thought was the best golfer out of the Northern Irishman and the American.

Arnold Palmer said who was better out of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy

Spieth and McIlroy were at the top of their games 10 years ago.

McIlroy had just won two majors in 2014 to take his haul to four in three years.

Meanwhile, Spieth won the first two majors of 2015 and was on course to win what would have been a historic calendar year Grand Slam.

Just before the Open Championship at St Andrews a decade ago, Palmer was asked whether McIlroy and Spieth could form two thirds of a new ‘Big Three’.

“Possibly,” Palmer said.

“McIlroy may be the best of the three. I like him very much. I like his golf, his swing and I like the way he plays. I give him the best chance and he isn’t playing. He has not just hurt himself. He has given the world a beating by not showing up.

“When I was 26 I did everything I wanted. So I’ve got some sympathy for him. His playing in this Open would be one of the most important moments in his life, so it’s sad that he is not.”

For context, McIlroy missed out on playing The Open in 2015 after injuring himself playing soccer the week before the tournament began.

And the fact that Palmer was highlighting what a huge miss he would be proves how highly regarded he was in the game at the time, and still is of course.

Rory McIlroy vs Jordan Spieth vs Arnold Palmer: Career records compared

Palmer is ranked fifth on the list of most PGA Tour wins of all time and tied seventh for the most men’s majors won in the history of the game.

Here is how Palmer’s record stacks up against those of McIlroy and Spieth:

From those numbers it is clear to see that McIlroy has enjoyed a more successful career than Spieth so far but both of them have quite a way to go if they are to match what Palmer achieved in the game.

The American is four years younger than the Northern Irishman, and he has not actually reached what are usually considered to be the prime years for a professional golfer.

The three-time major winner may not be the player he once was but there’s no reason why he can’t rediscover his best form over the course of the next five years or so.

However, whether he will ever be able to better McIlroy’s list of career achievements and even get close to matching Palmer’s records is highly doubtful.