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He's Not The Best Player In The World!
When you consider the best golfer in the world, who do you actually think of? Is it instantly who is ranked #1 according to the Sony World Rankings? Are there other factors you feel is mandatory to define the best golfer in the world?
There are numerous perspectives from differing governing bodies, sports writers, talking heads, and golfers generally. Regardless of what criteria you feel are the most important I'll categorically state that there's one thing that rises above any and all viewpoints. I'll get to that in a moment...
Sony rankings rate a player's rankings higher if they win or finish high in event which has more of the top players in the field. But what's funny (and almost arbitrary) about that is it's the Sony rankings that determines who the quality players are who are in a given field. Ok, now let's continue with this a little farther
Sony decides 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've got to 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 individuals feel you are not the best golfer in the world, regardless of if you are ranked #1, until you have won a major. Again I will challenge this logic everyday of the week. If we're to utilise this equally arbitrary idea on deciding the legitimacy of a #1 ranking then let's take a peek at a few of the previous victors of majors and see how valid having won a major truly is
Rich Beem
Paul Lawrie
Shaun Micheel
Stuart Cink
Andy North
Michael Campbell
Bob Tway
Larry Mize
What Really Makes A Player The Greatest In The World?
Ok, I am hoping you get the point. Some of these men never won again and many of them only won one or two tournaments in their entire careers. But all of them won a major. So what. Now if a player is ranked #1 in the world (according to those self elected masters of ranking - sony) and has won 4 tournaments in a year but no majors, that speaks of waaaaaay more than a guy who has finished in the top ten only 3 times but won 1 major that year. It doesn't matter if you are winning in Asia, Europe or in a regular PGA tour event, a win is a win and it's NEVER a leisurly walk in the park to win, anywhere.
In my humbly biased opinion a player who plays at a very high level, plays all around the world (which demonstrates major psychological and physical toughness), has many wins annually from all over the world, finishes in the top 10 more than any other player in golf: now that's 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 numerous perspectives from differing governing bodies, sports writers, talking heads, and golfers generally. Regardless of what criteria you feel are the most important I'll categorically state that there's one thing that rises above any and all viewpoints. I'll get to that in a moment...
Sony rankings rate a player's rankings higher if they win or finish high in event which has more of the top players in the field. But what's funny (and almost arbitrary) about that is it's the Sony rankings that determines who the quality players are who are in a given field. Ok, now let's continue with this a little farther
Sony decides 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've got to 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 individuals feel you are not the best golfer in the world, regardless of if you are ranked #1, until you have won a major. Again I will challenge this logic everyday of the week. If we're to utilise this equally arbitrary idea on deciding the legitimacy of a #1 ranking then let's take a peek at a few of the previous victors of majors and see how valid having won a major truly is
Rich Beem
Paul Lawrie
Shaun Micheel
Stuart Cink
Andy North
Michael Campbell
Bob Tway
Larry Mize
What Really Makes A Player The Greatest In The World?
Ok, I am hoping you get the point. Some of these men never won again and many of them only won one or two tournaments in their entire careers. But all of them won a major. So what. Now if a player is ranked #1 in the world (according to those self elected masters of ranking - sony) and has won 4 tournaments in a year but no majors, that speaks of waaaaaay more than a guy who has finished in the top ten only 3 times but won 1 major that year. It doesn't matter if you are winning in Asia, Europe or in a regular PGA tour event, a win is a win and it's NEVER a leisurly walk in the park to win, anywhere.
In my humbly biased opinion a player who plays at a very high level, plays all around the world (which demonstrates major psychological and physical toughness), has many wins annually from all over the world, finishes in the top 10 more than any other player in golf: now that's 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.