Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
True. It's obviously a weird way for me to put it but there's no question that Donald and Westwood are the two least deserving of a #1 ranking ever. So they aren't on everyone's mind when the majors come around.
The Masters
- Thread starter bcoak
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No offence to my friends from over the pond but the Masters is an INVITATIONAL event played at the SAME course EVERY year, so that excludes it in my book from being a TRUE major. BIG advantage to those who know the course because they've played it so often.
I personally LOVE the event to watch, truly a fantastic spectacle, but I don't agree with the format from a fairness point of view.
I personally LOVE the event to watch, truly a fantastic spectacle, but I don't agree with the format from a fairness point of view.
Regardless of current play, world ranking, or how their game fits the golf course, when you bet on someone who has never won a major, you're picking a long shot. That is a BIG monkey to shed. And IMHO, nobody who has not won a major should be #1. Ever. I'm going with the guy in the red shirt.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
With the way he's played he has to first get to his red shirt
Well, that told me!
Have to disagree. Let's say a guy wins 20 times on 4 continents around the world in top class fields, misses 1 major through injury, doesn't get invited to the Masters, it blows a gale at the British and the US Open is marred by overly penal rough. Nevertheless he finishes 2nd in both Opens. Shouldn't he be No1? Just hypothetical of course.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Well, that told me!
And let that be a lesson!!
birly-shirly
New
That kind of thinking is much easier once a guy's finished with playing, IMO. Was Duval any more deserving a No. 1 when he was actually no 1? Not a knock on DD, but his Open win somewhat retrospectively justified his ranking, no?
That must speak to the current state of the game. Donald was head and shoulders above any other player in the world last year. See the double money title.
Duval was winning way more tournaments than anyone else when he got to #1. As opposed to Westwood and Donald who got to #1 with a lot of top 10's.
Respectfully...the Masters invites after the following automatic exemptions. Im thinking that 20 wins on 4 continents gets in here somewhere. And when they turn the fan on, and grow the rough, somebody wins those events. and my point was EVER won a major, nit just this year
ASTERS CHAMPIONS: Charl Schwartzel, Phil Mickelson, Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, Jose Maria Olazabal, Mark O'Meara, Ben Crenshaw, Fred Couples, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Craig Stadler, Tom Watson.
U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS (five years): Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Lucas Glover.
BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONS (five years): Darren Clarke, Louis Oosthuizen, Stewart Cink, Padraig Harrington.
PGA CHAMPIONS (five years): Keegan Bradley, Martin Kaymer, Y.E. Yang.
PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPS CHAMPIONS (three years): K.J. Choi, Tim Clark, Henrik Stenson.
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPION AND RUNNER-UP: a-Kelly Kraft, a-Patrick Cantlay.
BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPION: a-Bryce McPherson.
U.S. AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPION: a-Corbin Mills.
U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPION: a-Randal Lewis.
ASIAN AMATEUR CHAMPION: a-Hideki Matsuyama.
TOP 16 AND TIES-2011 MASTERS: Jason Day, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Luke Donald, Bo Van Pelt, Ryan Palmer, Justin Rose, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood, Edoardo Molinari, Ross Fisher.
TOP EIGHT AND TIES-2011 U.S. OPEN: Kevin Chappell, Robert Garrigus, Peter Hanson, Sergio Garcia.
TOP FOUR AND TIES-2011 BRITISH OPEN: Dustin Johnson, Thomas Bjorn.
TOP FOUR AND TIES-2011 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Jason Dufner, Anders Hansen, Robert Karlsson, David Toms, Scott Verplank.
TOP 30-2011 PGA TOUR MONEY LIST: Webb Simpson, Nick Watney, Matt Kuchar, Bill Haas, Brandt Snedeker, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Gary Woodland, Mark Wilson, Aaron Baddeley, Jonathan Byrd, Martin Laird, Charles Howell III, Fredrik Jacobson, Rory Sabbatini, Kevin Na.
PGA TOUR EVENT WINNERS SINCE 2011 MASTERS (FULL FEDEX CUP POINTS AWARDED): Brendan Steele, Harrison Frazar, Sean O'Hair, Scott Stallings.
FIELD FROM THE 2011 TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Chez Reavie, John Senden.
TOP 50-2011 FINAL WORLD RANKING: Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Alvaro Quiros, K.T. Kim, Simon Dyson, Sang-moon Bae, Rickie Fowler, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Jim Furyk.
Classic example: Greg Norman was 300+ weeks at #1 and never won 3 out of the 4 majors and only 2 in his 20 years. I don't think his record compares to Nick Faldo for example, because he did not close the big ones. Like it or not, the Majors are the defining criteria for greatness in golf. Jones, Hogan, Hagen, Jack, Tiger, Player, possibly Vardon in his era, they are the best of the best.
birly-shirly
New
Agreed. But by the same token, to top the rankings WITHOUT winning all those tournaments - doesn't that mean that you've been just ridiculously consistent?
I agree BTW with your point that people tend to be remembered for their majors record - but I also think that's a pretty arbitrary standard. Norman again is a case in point. Incredible disappointment in majors - but maybe just the most exciting, charismatic and intimidating golfer between Arnie's and Tiger's primes.
birly-shirly
New
birly-shirly
New
I can well believe it. But what was he drinking before the round to go out like this?
Brian Barnes - Golfer from Scotland - Golf-Heroes.net
I'm not sure that any other player, other than Jean van de Velde, has ever sported bare knees at the Open.
Brian Barnes - Golfer from Scotland - Golf-Heroes.net
I'm not sure that any other player, other than Jean van de Velde, has ever sported bare knees at the Open.
Brian Barnes also threatened to smack Mark James around when Ken Brown and Mark James were behaving like a couple of nitwits in the 1979 Ryder Cup. Hats off to him. Apparently Barnesy was an absolute riot to be around, and taking out Nicklaus twice in the same day in singles means the bloke was a stick...
Any insight? Why?
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