Who is the real World Number one

[TitleistKid]

[quote name='anders' timestamp='1295904758' post='2921419']

Woods, Mickelson, GMAC, Stricker and Charl Schwartzel, [b]Fowler[/b] are then next.

[/quote]

huh? How did he sneak in there??

[mosesgolf]

Kaymer has had the best past 12 months and then McDowell. 2yrs world ranking points is bunk imo to determine #1. If Tiger doesn't start doing something, he is going to drop fast in the world rankings. I do like his chances at Torrey Pines this week. That's a brutally tough course and that's where Tiger shines.

[golfware]

Here's hoping that Tiger gets his game back in form and starts kicking some tail. Kaymer is unreal. Just unreal. Westwood won't be #1 for long.

[puttingmatt]

[quote name='nikemike' timestamp='1295893039' post='2920926']
It's Lee Westwood.
Either people don't understand how the rankings work or they want knee jerk reactions applied to it. There are currently some hot players, Kaymer and Mcdowell included, but maintaining that form is how you get to be NUMBER ONE.

Maybe we need the OWGR and then a "my favorite player just won this past w/e and should be #1 wahhh!!!!" list.
[/quote]


+ 1, Very well stated!!!

[psd]

Another vote for Westwood. He is #1

I think one way to improve the rankings very simply is to utilize the Billboard Record charts of putting an Up arrow next to the players trending up and a Down arrow next to guys trending down. That way it can give some visible evidence of a player's trend.

So in the old record business parlance, Kaymer would be #2 "with a bullet"!

[tElihu]

I'm just happy that there is this much debate over who's number 1. This make it much more interesting than when you have one guy dominating.

The next time all of these guys get together (i.e. the Masters) it's going to be quite fun to watch.

[mosesgolf]

Kaymer>McDowell>Westwood>>>>>>>>>Woods imo.

With virtually no points from 2010, Tiger will drop quick if he doesn't start doing something soon. Torrey is definitely the right place for his game.

[deh39]

I can't figure out why it is that finishing second 10 times is worth more than a win and 5 top tens. I *think* the rankings as they stand are rewarding mediocrity in a lot of peoples eyes, including my own. While the excitement that guys like Philly Mick or even McDowell bring to the game inspire people and keep them tuned in, the statisticians seem to be winning the battle for the OWGR #1 slot.

I am sure it has been discussed before but what are the alternatives? The money list rankings are flawed as well in that they reward quantity of quality in a lot of cases. Maybe a seeding done by the writers or players themselves, NCAA style? Something a little more short term seems to be what people are getting at. In fairness the best in the world are definately in the top ten of the OWGR anyway. I'll shut up now.

#1 - Gmac (making everything he looks at under 15')
#2 - Kaymer (a golf playing robot sent from the future to save us all)

Honourable mention - Kuch for his scoring average alone.

[mnplayer]

Kaymer, McDowel, Mickelson, Woods (yes Woods), in no particular order. I don't care about the rankings cause they're garbage. If the rankings were good Tiger wouldn't have held onto number one for so long after he started his decline this past year. Westwood can't win on the Pga Tour. He should stay in Europe.

[Mookie91]

According to the World Golf Rankings Westwood is #1. I still feel that Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world. For all he has accomplished I feel he has at least earned one more year in my mind...

[tbomb]

I think that if Tiger was ranked 25 or up, we would see more effort. I'm no historian but did Nicklaus ever have a winless year?

I hate Tiger playing 15 events a year, I also hate how when he does play, it's all Tiger all the time. I don't want to watch him shoot 75! lol

[jmck]

Close the thread. It's this guy. Gives Duval 2 a side, takes his money, and makes him cry for his mamma.

 

Sorry. In all seriousness I'd have a hard time picking Kaymer or Gmac over one or the other. They've both been on fire for 6-9 months. I'd put Westwood just a hair behind those two. The three of them seem to have separated themselves from the pack a little. You could maybe put McIlroy in there too. I don't think you can put Woods in there until we've seen him play a few tournaments--or better yet win one.

 

 

Edit: The link above goes to the wrong place because the guy got all of his posts deleted by mods (thankfully!). You can hear him quoted lower in the thread.

[tembolo1284]

[quote name='jaskanski' timestamp='1295903784' post='2921361']
Apologies for the brutal truth, but the last time any of the worlds top golfers played in the same event, Woods has recently come off second best - or rather even worse than second - that's Westwoods speciality. Arguing the case for form is irrelevant too. Either bring your 'A' game to the tourney or expect to lose. Saying Woods or Mickelson didn't play well that week only goes to reinforce the current standings. It's not a case of IF he plays his best, it's a case of WHEN he plays his best. It's a level playing field and they just play them as it lies - if they cannot make any further headway in the rankings as they stand at the moment, then they are clearly not the number #1 golfer or golfers.
[/quote]


Haven't seen a tourney in a long while where the top 3 played each other head to head. Usually one of them is having an off week or whatever. We'll see what happens in the weeks ahead. Woods is tough to say because he didn't do anything last year. Was that because he's truly gone forever or because he just had all that personal stuff mess with his mind? We'll find out. And I also can't say Mickelson was exactly able to bring his game with his mind on his family and the arthiritis. But even when he's healthy he's a pretty erratic dude. So taking those two chaps out I just see Graeme and Martin. I think both times Martin bested him. So we'll see what happens. Westwood winning in South Africa was great, and GMac beating Tiger at the Chevron was even more entertaining. I want to see Westwood coming down the stretch in another major maybe facing Kaymer, Gmac, and/or Woods and see what happens. Should be fun!

[nlv91]

tiger will always be the best player in the world to me, he dominated in 2009 before all of the crap. Kaymer is number 2 to me at this point. graeme mcdowell isn't even a name I like

[potuna]

The best player right now is Kaymer, Tiger hasn't won anything lately and until he shows that he's the same Tiger he once was he's not even a top ten player now.

[mozgolf]

OMG, get over the "no major no #1 ranking", its such a puerile argument . So the ranking system only applies once you have a major!!!

[geesecougar2]

I think the #1 is Westwood simply because the ranking system says he is. Yes the system could use a few tweaks, perhaps shortening period they measure.

But the challenge with any ranking system isn't about figuring out who's #1, but about correctly ranking players in the middle, the ones on the fringe, the ones who are not quite elite. The Money List is a great ranking system IMO. I would guess that for a great majority of pros throughout history, money won has been the biggest concern. This is how the best players, the ones who can make a living playing golf, keep their cards and get exemptions.

The problem is that we need a system to rank players irrespective of their home tours. So the OWGR is the best thing we have. It's really the only major statistic that measures consistency, so I say take it for what it is.

The other way to figure out the best player in the world is the guy lifting the trophy on any given Sunday at the tournament with the strongest field and/or biggest purse in the world.

[Golfwolf]

Based on performance in the past year: Kaymer 1, McDowell 2.

[hoges11]

[quote name='Golfwolf' timestamp='1295953845' post='2922798']
Based on performance in the past year: Kaymer 1, McDowell 2.
[/quote]


Just checked on the official ranking site.............................. and its Westwood. I will check again next week and keep you updated.

[david92]

How do we define "real"??

There is little point in looking backwards otherwise how far back do you go?

The more interesting and relevant questions have to be who is playing the best golf right now (because you cannot use previous form to hit a golf ball today!) and in my view that looks like Kaymer....

...the other more interesting question and one that over the longer term will be remembered in the future rather than ranking is who will win the majors?

Again probably Kaymer has the best chance having already one in the bank...Westwood is less likely to win having mental scar tissue on this (and I am English!) Woods will be in contention for the Masters as will Mickleson but would any of you guys want to back them at say lower odds if offered the choice of Kaymer at higher odds on his current form ?....the great thing about golf though things can change in the space of a few weeks!!