If you read quickly, you should be able to get through this newsletter in the time it takes Kevin Na to hit a putt!

WOWgr, Vol. 2022.2

In case you missed the first edition, WOWgr stands for Will’s Official Weekly Golf Ranking. Every Friday, I (Will Knights) will provide an updated ranking of various golf people in the news. It’s to be taken neither too seriously nor too lightly, it’s extremely volatile, everyone is eligible, and all feedback is welcome.

No. 1 – Golf sickos with a Netflix password (Up 7,650,021 spots from last week) – On Wednesday, Netflix officially announced that it is producing a Drive to Survive-inspired docuseries on the PGA Tour. The list of players who have committed to participate is impressive, as is the fact that all four men’s major championships are on board. Even better, a PGA Tour spokesperson told Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier that Ponte Vedra does not have editorial control over the series. Hope is a wonderful, if delicate, thing.

No. 2 – Cameron Smith (Up 11) – The Aussie’s victory over Jon Rahm was a big plus, no doubt, but it was really his steadfast refusal to get rid of or even spruce up his mullet that pushed him this high. Asked if an International team win in the Presidents Cup would be reason enough to shave it off, he replied, simply, “No.” Atta boy.

No. 3 – Meghan MacLaren (Up 297) – Anyone who has ever taken part in a golf competition knows the agony of coming up short. Meghan MacLaren is no exception. Last month, she was on track to earn LPGA Tour status in Q-Series… until she wasn’t. As she does, she wrote beautifully about the pain of this moment, how it has worn off, and how she has refocused herself heading into 2022.

No. 5 – Keita Nakajima (Up 104) – Not only is the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world killing it so far in his PGA Tour debut at the Sony Open (67 on Thursday); he is also among the players committed to the new Netflix docuseries on the PGA Tour. Nakajima will be headed to the Masters this spring, so you know the Crow’s Nest #content is coming.

No. 6  – Jon Rahm (Down 1) – The guy made 32 birdies and an eagle over 72 holes at Kapalua, but he didn’t win. He has to be penalized one spot for that. Fair is fair.

No. 13 – Richard Kind (Up 1,702) – The actor’s outfit for the Sony Open pro-am was both preposterous and aspirational.

No. 15 – Geno Bonnalie (Up 432) – One of the best caddie follows on Twitter, Joel Dahmen’s looper posted a video of himself in a concession line waiting for a hot dog at the Sony Open. The dog was for his boss.

No. 87 – Bryson DeChambeau (Up 3) – During a virtual press conference ahead of the Saudi International, the Thicc Boi explained why he won’t be taking part in the PGA Tour’s Netflix series. His answer—touching on his YouTube channel and his desire for some measure of privacy—was quite thoughtful. But then he started saying stuff about not “tak[ing] the light away” from fellow pros who are “pretty far behind” and have “the opportunity to grow a lot more than I do in that regard.” That… might not go over great in the locker room?

No. 1,715 – Rees Jones (No change) – As first reported by The Fried Egg (not to brag), golf course architect Andrew Green is set to restore East Lake Golf Club after the 2023 Tour Championship. East Lake was redesigned by Donald Ross in 1913 and renovated by Rees Jones in 1995 and 2008. The club’s hiring of Green, who has restored Ross designs at Inverness Club and Oak Hill, continues the trend of high-profile courses moving away from Jones’s influence.

Please direct all WOWgr feedback/complaints to @willknightsTFE.

The Latest from The Fried Egg

Perry Maxwell’s Prairie Dunes – Original 9 – All of Prairie Dunes is terrific, but there’s something special about Perry Maxwell’s original nine. Andy Johnson and Garrett Morrison discuss those holes in our latest video.

The 2022 PGA Tour Live All-Stars – With many hours of viewing ahead of us this year, Joseph LaMagna identifies a few players who will be entertaining on PGA Tour Live in 2022.

The Fried Egg Podcast: Yolk with Doak 32 – Golf course architect Tom Doak fields listener questions and talks about some off-the-wall course concepts he’d like to try. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.

The Shotgun Start – On this Friday episode, Andy and Brendan are joined by special guests Paul Martin and Chad Mumm, producers of the upcoming Netflix PGA Tour docuseries. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Boards

Kevin Na took his sweet time, but you can’t argue with the results. He shot 61 and leads the Sony Open after 18 holes. Russell Henley and 51-year-old Jim Furyk are one stroke back.

Louis Dobbelaar and Su Oh lead the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.