When you think about the best golfer in the world, who do you really think of? Is it immediately who is ranked #1 according to the Sony World Rankings? Are there other standards you feel is obligatory in order to establish the best golfer in the world?
There are several viewpoints from differing ruling bodies, sports writers, talking heads, and golfers in general. Irrespective of what standards you feel are the most vital I will definitely state that there is one thing that rises above any and all points of view. I will get to that in a moment...
Sony rankings rate a player's rankings higher if they win or finish high in a tournament that has more of the quality players in the field. But what's funny (and virtually arbitrary) about that is it is the Sony rankings that decrees who the top players are who are in a given field. Ok, now let's keep going with this a little further
Sony decrees what a players ranking is. Players with high Sony rankings enter a tournament and make it a "quality field". "Big" events like the World Golf Championships evolved on the golf scene to put a focus on top players. To be eligible for these events you must have a high, you guessed it, Sony World Ranking. The ranking points placed on these events are higher than regular events.
Do the Sony World Golf Rankings Truly Determine Who's Best?
So those that had high Sony Rankings, and are one of the selected ones, get into these high profile events and are assured of even higher placement in the official world rankings. Hmmm, seems a little incestuous don't you think? Is a player who is 1 single point behind the players who are eligible to enter these world championship events really that much worse than the person one point in front of him? And now that man who was one single point ahead will get a lift in rankings just because he's in the field.
I look at these big events kind of like a boys club. It is like the "in crowd", the exclusive insiders club on the tour. In effect this creates 2 pga tours. - The regular tour and the world golf championships. Everybody is allowed in the lower tier events but only a selected few are allowed n the top events. And, all based on the Sony World Rankings.
Some people feel you're not the best player in the world, even though you're ranked #1, till you've won a major. Again I'll challenge this logic everyday of the week. If we are to make use of this similarly arbitrary concept on determining the legitimacy of a #1 ranking then let us take a look at some of the past winners of majors and see how valid having won a major actually is
Rich Beem
Paul Lawrie
Shaun Micheel
Stuart Cink
Andy North
Michael Campbell
Bob Tway
Larry Mize
What Truly Makes A Player The Very Best In The World?
Ok, I hope you get the idea. A number of these players never won again and most of them only won 1 or 2 events in their whole career. But they all won a major. So what. Now if a guy is ranked #1 in the world (according to those self appointed gurus of ranking - sony) and has won 4 tournaments in a year but no majors, that says waaaaaay more than a guy who finished in the top 10 only 3 times but won 1 major that year. I don't care if you're playing in Asia, Europe or in a regular PGA tour event, a win is a win and it is NEVER a walk in the park to win, anywhere.
In my humbly biased opinion a player who plays at a really high level, plays all over the world (which shows significant mental and physical staying power), has numerous victories each year from all areas of the world, finishes in the top 10 more than any other player in golf: now that is a real #1 player.
In 2011 Luke Donald became and stayed the best golfer in the world and did so in a way unparalleled in the history of golf. He won Player of the Year on both the European Tour AND the PGA Tour. He won BOTH money titles and the race to Dubai, the European version of the Fedex Cup. He finished in the top 10 an impossible to believe 14 times in only 19 starts on the PGA Tour! And get this, since he became a member of the European Tour he has NEVER missed a cut. Those numbers and that level of consistency are hard to overlook.
But in the final analysis there is one ingredient that the best player in the world ALWAYS has. A phenomenal inner game. This one quality is important and residesin the heart of all greatness. Luke exudes a wonderful calmness and a praiseworthy modesty that is a deserving of the golfing world's respect.
There are several viewpoints from differing ruling bodies, sports writers, talking heads, and golfers in general. Irrespective of what standards you feel are the most vital I will definitely state that there is one thing that rises above any and all points of view. I will get to that in a moment...
Sony rankings rate a player's rankings higher if they win or finish high in a tournament that has more of the quality players in the field. But what's funny (and virtually arbitrary) about that is it is the Sony rankings that decrees who the top players are who are in a given field. Ok, now let's keep going with this a little further
Sony decrees what a players ranking is. Players with high Sony rankings enter a tournament and make it a "quality field". "Big" events like the World Golf Championships evolved on the golf scene to put a focus on top players. To be eligible for these events you must have a high, you guessed it, Sony World Ranking. The ranking points placed on these events are higher than regular events.
Do the Sony World Golf Rankings Truly Determine Who's Best?
So those that had high Sony Rankings, and are one of the selected ones, get into these high profile events and are assured of even higher placement in the official world rankings. Hmmm, seems a little incestuous don't you think? Is a player who is 1 single point behind the players who are eligible to enter these world championship events really that much worse than the person one point in front of him? And now that man who was one single point ahead will get a lift in rankings just because he's in the field.
I look at these big events kind of like a boys club. It is like the "in crowd", the exclusive insiders club on the tour. In effect this creates 2 pga tours. - The regular tour and the world golf championships. Everybody is allowed in the lower tier events but only a selected few are allowed n the top events. And, all based on the Sony World Rankings.
Some people feel you're not the best player in the world, even though you're ranked #1, till you've won a major. Again I'll challenge this logic everyday of the week. If we are to make use of this similarly arbitrary concept on determining the legitimacy of a #1 ranking then let us take a look at some of the past winners of majors and see how valid having won a major actually is
Rich Beem
Paul Lawrie
Shaun Micheel
Stuart Cink
Andy North
Michael Campbell
Bob Tway
Larry Mize
What Truly Makes A Player The Very Best In The World?
Ok, I hope you get the idea. A number of these players never won again and most of them only won 1 or 2 events in their whole career. But they all won a major. So what. Now if a guy is ranked #1 in the world (according to those self appointed gurus of ranking - sony) and has won 4 tournaments in a year but no majors, that says waaaaaay more than a guy who finished in the top 10 only 3 times but won 1 major that year. I don't care if you're playing in Asia, Europe or in a regular PGA tour event, a win is a win and it is NEVER a walk in the park to win, anywhere.
In my humbly biased opinion a player who plays at a really high level, plays all over the world (which shows significant mental and physical staying power), has numerous victories each year from all areas of the world, finishes in the top 10 more than any other player in golf: now that is a real #1 player.
In 2011 Luke Donald became and stayed the best golfer in the world and did so in a way unparalleled in the history of golf. He won Player of the Year on both the European Tour AND the PGA Tour. He won BOTH money titles and the race to Dubai, the European version of the Fedex Cup. He finished in the top 10 an impossible to believe 14 times in only 19 starts on the PGA Tour! And get this, since he became a member of the European Tour he has NEVER missed a cut. Those numbers and that level of consistency are hard to overlook.
But in the final analysis there is one ingredient that the best player in the world ALWAYS has. A phenomenal inner game. This one quality is important and residesin the heart of all greatness. Luke exudes a wonderful calmness and a praiseworthy modesty that is a deserving of the golfing world's respect.
About the Author:
Whole Mind Golf is a revolutionary new approach to unlocking the mind and utilizing its full power in your golf game in a way you can experience and measure. Increased focus, mental toughness, developing a winner's attitude, mastering feelings and numerous processes for playing fearless, confident golf.
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