by We live in a world mired in chaos. No one is sure what’s right or wrong, everyone has something to complain about, and many are calling for an end to the establishment all together.
I’m talking about the Official World Golf Ranking, of course.
Given the uncertainty of the times, it’s my duty to bring back the only golf ranking that matters. WOWgr, Will’s Official Weekly golf ranking, started as a Fried Egg newsletter segment in 2022. After an unplanned seven-month hiatus, it’s back with a vengeance in 2023. We’ll post it right here on The Fried Egg dot com every Friday.
A few reminders on WOWgr guidelines:
WOWgr is extremely subjective, but unimpeachably correct. (In other words, don’t take it too seriously.)
WOWgr includes golfers of all kinds, from tour pros to amateurs, and sometimes non-humans.
WOWgr takes many factors into consideration. Quality of play is not the only criterion.
WOWgr is extremely volatile. This week’s No. 1 could be next week’s not-mentioned.
WOWgr is never complete. I’m a busy guy. No time to rank everyone, every week.
WOWgr welcomes feedback. If you see something, say something: @willknightsTFE on Twitter.
Without any further ado…
WOWgr, Vol. 2023.1
No. 1 – Lydia Ko – I’m a sucker for a feel-good story, and Ko has the potential to be THE story of 2023. The former teen prodigy has regained her elite form over the past 18 months and currently tops the Rolex Rankings. Over in Club TFE, my not-so-bold 2023 prediction was that Ko would win her third career major championship this year. The 25-year-old hasn’t knocked off a major since her teenage years. Imagine if she got one at the first U.S. Women’s Open to be held at Pebble Beach? Oh, and she got married last weekend. A clear No. 1.
No. 2 – Scott Stallings – It’s hard to imagine that you don’t already know the Scott Stallings Masters story yet, but here’s a brief recap: Augusta National Golf Club mailed an invitation to the 2023 tournament to PGA Tour pro Scott Stallings, but a different Scott Stallings received the package. The mistake was quickly rectified, and Other Scott Stallings scored a practice-round ticket. It was wholesome content, and as long as SS 2.0 doesn’t try to milk the press for too long, it will remain that way.
No. 4 – Frankie Fleetwood – Tommy’s son is clearly going to be in the broadcast booth someday.
No. 7 – Mark Rolfing – It’s Kona wind szn!
Hawaii resident Mark Rolfing
No. 45 – Will Zalatoris’s couch – Judging by Willy Z’s pasty complexion, he hasn’t seen the outdoors for quite a while. I’m sure his furniture is grateful that he has recovered from his back injury enough to get out of the house and go to Hawaii.
No. 49 – You – WOWgr is back, and the fact that you’re reading it is enough to get you into the top 50. Congrats!
No. 67 – Gordon Sargent – The reigning NCAA champion is the first amateur since 2000 to receive a special invitation to the Masters. Sargent has a small frame but absolutely pounds the ball, and he has a well-rounded game.
No. 396 – Hugo Boss – This one is tough. On the one hand, the fashion company severed ties with Patrick Cantlay over the winter, losing some visibility in the golf world. HOWEVA, as Claire Rogers pointed out, Cantlay’s shaky sense of style always made him an odd fit for the brand. That said, Hugo Boss will probably drop this year, as its only other notable players are Cleek GC captain Martin Kaymer and Majesticks member Henrik Stenson.
No. 421 – Justin Thomas’s wife Jill – Significant others have varying degrees of golf knowledge so no judgment there. But c’mon, Jill, the phrase ‘cart path only’ is pretty self-explanatory.
No. 2,432 – Golf Twitter users – On Wednesday, #databoy and Fried Egg contributor Joseph LaMagna posted a “tiering” of PGA Tour golf courses. He was judging the courses by the test of professional golf they provide, not their overall quality. Of course, Golf Twitter doesn’t have time to stop and understand things like that. Poor Joseph spent the rest of the day dealing with people’s fury. Hold the line, JL!
T-DFL – Surprises – According to Bloomberg News, a PGA Tour-affiliated public-relations firm has alleged that LIV Golf is attempting to collect data on 9/11 families who have protested the league. This is where you pretend to be shocked.
T-DFL – Spelling – What does the equipment industry have against spelling?
See y’all next week
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