Nothing really gets golf journalist's blood a-flowin' like talk of who will overtake Tiger Woods as the top golfer in the official world rankings.
For most of the year it was Mr. Phil Mickelson who had a chance to take down Tiger, but he failed to do so because he decided to play the second of half of the golf season right-handed. Even though he didn't seem to have any game after Augusta, it was our duty to write up every single week that he was going to be number one in the world. I guess we all think someone cares.
But now it is Lee Westwood, or Martin Kaymer. One of the two will replace Tiger, and I'd give you the details how, but I'm sure you don't care. It's an inevitability that Tiger won't be number one come Thanksgiving (or even Veterans Day), as he shouldn't, because he definitely hasn't been the top golfer in the game the last year.
The bigger question is, does anyone care? Is it this big of a deal? Besides the guy that claims the number one spot, are people sitting at home in their Titleist caps, tapping their adidas golf shoes on the floor, waiting for the rankings to change like it's the BCS? No, I'm sure they don't.
It's the official world rankings! It's something that ranks the best golfers in the world, and sometimes does a miserable job at that! Who cares?!
But, yeah, Tiger won't be number one anymore. I'm sure there is some 5-year-old kid ready to toss his orange and black stripped headcover in the trash when that becomes official.
Getty Images
5 comments:
Mmmm, I still can't help thinking you'd be making a big deal of it if Phil was indeed taking over the No.1 spot rather than a European.
I think the more interesting battle is around the 50 number mark. Isn't that the number that gets you into all the big events? There isn't any difference between numbers 1-10.
Though I agree with the premise (Who cares?) the real question is how messed up is a system where Woods held onto the rankings as long as he did?
The Gators lose three in a row and disappear from the polls, rightfully so. Woods wins nada and, though he will soon be displaced, is still #1.
Nice subtle shot re: Thanksgiving, however!
Honestly Wendy, this has been the most exhausting thing to write about all season (besides Tiger's personal life), and most of that was focused around Phil.
If Mickelson/Westwood/Kaymer took over the top spot, they'd be excited for about six hours, maybe have a celebratory dinner, and then probably forget about it as they dove into their Ducktales-style golden coin pool.
As Per the OWGR, to be ranked #1 as a golfer is the product of excellent play(culminating in wins/good losses over a two-year period divided by a minimum of 40 played tournaments. What is so hard to understand here? Is the premise for the ranking that disagreeable and inaccurate? No, that is why it is called a premise!TW play in 2009 was better than all golfers,more wins; 2010 was not good, no wins, however the only person who could wrest the ranking early in 2010 did not play well- Phil; thus the reason that TW still has the top spot in Oct.Really, the discussion should be how TW truly/completely dominated golf for a long period and built a massive lead in ranking points that it took a major catastrophe in his life to unseat him
Post a Comment