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In these divided times, there’s one thing the golf world seems in agreement on: the Official World Golf Ranking isn’t perfect.
Exactly how it’s imperfect is a matter of some debate.
Ask Jon Rahm and he’d tell you it undervalues small-field victories; he’d also point out that he’s somehow still No. 3 in the world despite four wins and four additional top-eight finishes in his last eight global starts.
Ask Greg Norman or any of the fellas on his LIV tour and he’d suggest the OWGR is becoming less relevant because they’re not getting points. They may, in time. But by the time they do, their collective rankings may not be enough to mean much.
The solution? We made our own! The Drop Zone World Ranking Committee got together to produce another imperfect world ranking, this time consisting of the top 30 men’s golfers in the world. The catch: Drop Zone hosts Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier alternated picks, beginning at No. 30 and counting down to No. 1. That meant neither quite had control over exactly who ended up on the list, nor where — but it’s intriguing to see where the gang ended up.
Our resident New Englander, for example, was appalled to hear Keegan Bradley stuck at No. 30. There were plenty of intriguing questions in the rankings, too: How do you handle LIV guys? How about injured greats? And who’s better, Rahm or Rory?
You can listen to the full episode of the Drop Zone below, or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — or skip to the YouTube short at the bottom for an abridged version. Enjoy!
Drop Zone Podcast:
The final answers, in 59 seconds: