Guess who's still No. 1?

[Stanters]

FWIW

1. Westwood 9.31
2. Kaymer 7.49
3. McDowell 6.30
4. Woods 8.26 5
5. Poulter 5.73
6. Mickelson 7.01
7. Furyk 6.44
8. Donald 5.80
9. Stricker 6.39
10. Casey 6.14

 

[SiberianDVM]

Way too harsh SDVM. ... and who gives a fark what some hack scribe on the Golf Channel thinks?

Heck the guy tied for third at the Open Championship in 2008 after being the 54 hole leader & he was 53 years old then.

When he won the Open Championship in 1986 he won by 5 shots. At the 1993 Players Championship, he obliterated the records for the lowest 18, 54 and 72-hole scores (63, 67, 67, 67) to give him a 24-under 264 total - six strokes better than any previous winner.

I think too much is made of Norman's losses & not enough is made of his victories.

Sunday, Dec 19, 4 am, Golf Channel; Major Meltdowns. Watch it and tell me what you see with Norman in it.

 

[slickpitt]

I disagree...if Lee westwood was American this conversation would never happen :wink:

Totally disagree... if it were Stricker for instance was in the #1 spot, I would make the same argument. But I bet you money that Stricker would say that we all know who the #1 golfer in the world is....

 

[slickpitt]

Here is a fun exercise......I have posted the latest rankings below. Rearrange the list to rank the players as you think they should be based on your own criterion for who the best players are.

1. Westwood 9.31

2. Woods 8.26

3. Kaymer 7.49

4. Mickelson 7.01

5. Furyk 6.44

6. Stricker 6.39

7. McDowell 6.30

8. Casey 6.14

9. Donald 5.80

10. Poulter 5.73

1. Woods

2. McDowell

3. Furyk

4. Mickelson

5. Kymer

6. Westwood

7. Poulter

8. Stricker

9. Donald

10. Casey

 

[Stanters]

1. Woods

2. McDowell

3. Furyk

4. Mickelson

5. Kymer

6. Westwood

7. Poulter

8. Stricker

9. Donald

10. Casey

Absurd

 

[BigJim13]

I would guess it's very hard to know what it's like unless you've actually been there and I always advocate a little more respect and a little less trashing of players who have struggled at the sharp end of Majors from those who have absolutely no inkling what it must be like.

I wouldn't rate Norman up with the ultimate elite but he's certainly one of the 5 best players I've seen in my lifetime.

Same sort of goes for people who can't or refuse to see Westwood as the best player in the world - 2 years doesn't lie, time to wake up and realise that the world revolves around the sun and not the good ole US of A. Name me another guy you'd have play a round for your life tomorrow, I'll take Lee any day.

I agree with most of what you say but this part that i put in bold/italics is just... i don't even know what to say. Frankly if I was going to have anybody play a round for my life it would be Tiger, that ends that conversation. WHen push comes to shove I want a guy with 14 majors putting for me, not the guy who most recently won the St Jude Classic.

I have rooted for Westwood, several times now in Majors and he always comes up short. I know of his struggles to get back where he is now and respect that. I still just don't see him as "the Man."

 

[slickpitt]

Absurd

Why? Makes as much sense as the OWGR...

 

[fisher]

Since I started the idea I'll post my rankings. Right now I view the 1. 2 and 3 positions as pretty much a dead heat. I give tiger the top spot in the 3-way tie based on career achievement.

1. Woods

2. McDowell

3. Kymer

4. Mickelson

5. Furyk

6. Poulter

7. Westwood

8. Stricker

9. Donald

10. Casey

 

[BigJim13]

Since I started the idea I'll post my rankings. Right now I view the 1. 2 and 3 positions as pretty much a dead heat. I give tiger the top spot in the 3-way tie based on career achievement.

1. Woods

2. McDowell

3. Kymer

4. Mickelson

5. Furyk

6. Poulter

7. Westwood

8. Stricker

9. Donald

10. Casey

I really have no issue with your list, I put Furyk on top based on a good overall season and winning the Fed Ex cup.

 

[xamilo]

Name me another guy you'd have play a round for your life tomorrow, I'll take Lee any day.

Certainly.

I guess we are used to having a No 1. who just beat everyone and had no close competence at all, and people are reluctant to having someone with a less commercial name, non-American, and who isn't dominating every tournament he plays in. People kind of remember the last months of play when Kaymer or Johnson where playing their best. As well, I think some others tend to let the past always interfere with the discussion and bias decisions. How can you possibly rank Mickelson before Westwood? He won the MAsters and has done nothing more in the last year! He might have ben an awesome player and frankly I've always cheered for him as a left handed and a good family man, but there is just no reason to think he is now days near the top of the list. Maybe he plays awesome this year and makes everyone happy, but up to now he is no match at all.

I ain't a fan of Westwood, but still, he did play much better all year long. It's simple: I picked him in every Coffee Cup Challenge and he summed me more points every time than the other three together (except for the MAsters since Mickelson gave me one point more)

It is difficult for all of us to accept Tiger is no longer No 1, even for us people who almost hate him

 

[TheTrueReview]

You know. The more I've thought about these issues, considered the debate of Tiger vs Westwood, with a good measure of Greg Norman thrown in, I'm now convinced that being No. 1 in the world is the crowning glory in golf. Padraig Harrington won three majors in quick order a couple of years ago but he never became world No. 1 & despite his talents, never will. Similarly, golfers like Stuart Cink, Trevor Immelman & Lucas Glover, all major winners, will be forgotten long before former world No. 1s. Reaching the pinnacle of golf rankings is a crowning achievement in golf and one which will be long remembered, rather than winning a particular event (eg. a major). Those who do both are fortunate indeed (cue Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus).

 

[Stanters]

I agree with most of what you say but this part that i put in bold/italics is just... i don't even know what to say. Frankly if I was going to have anybody play a round for my life it would be Tiger, that ends that conversation. WHen push comes to shove I want a guy with 14 majors putting for me, not the guy who most recently won the St Jude Classic.

I have rooted for Westwood, several times now in Majors and he always comes up short. I know of his struggles to get back where he is now and respect that. I still just don't see him as "the Man."

Sorry if I offended you (and others) with that Jim...bit OTT and I apologise. On reflection I guess it's no surprise that after so long with Tiger at #1 that there are so many discussions about his successor, whomever it turned out to be.

As for Majors and that - I'd prefer to win either of The Opens but tbh The Masters (close though) and USPGA would fall behind the #1 spot. Not that it's terribly likely ofc unless something dramatic happens with my long irons. And driving.

And chipping


Oh yeah short irons too...and putting

 

[fisher]

I really have no issue with your list, I put Furyk on top based on a good overall season and winning the Fed Ex cup.

In retrospect I could probably put Fyrick above Mickelson.

 

[BigJim13]

Sorry if I offended you (and others) with that Jim...bit OTT and I apologise. On reflection I guess it's no surprise that after so long with Tiger at #1 that there are so many discussions about his successor, whomever it turned out to be.

As for Majors and that - I'd prefer to win either of The Opens but tbh The Masters (close though) and USPGA would fall behind the #1 spot. Not that it's terribly likely ofc unless something dramatic happens with my long irons. And driving.

And chipping


Oh yeah short irons too...and putting

No offense taken! I just don't understand the thinking that people have an issue with a non American being #1 in the world.

If you think about it, I believe that non Americans have spent more time at No1 than any American. It could be close with Tiger though, but Norman and Faldo have spent ALOT of time at no1.

 

[MCDavis]

History of the Official World Golf Ranking Number One Position

Read the stats for World #1. Since they started keeping these stats, 2 golfers completely eclipse every other golfer in the world: Greg Norman and Tiger Woods. No one else is even close. And yes, Tiggy's tenure at W#1 is almost double Norman's. Also, if my math is correct, Tiger has held W#1 for more weeks than everyone else combined.

Say what you want about Norman choking (and I won't argue with you), but you simply can't deny that he was one of the most dominant golfers of his time. And, he is the 2nd most dominant golfer since the World Rankings have been kept.

Oh, one other thing that's very interesting to me: There have only been 4 American holders of W#1 out of 13 total.

I would love to see these same stats for Nicklaus, Watson, Palmer, Hogan, etc...if there were some way to re-create them.