OWGR: Ranking Every World No. 1 in History

Here’s our ranking of every player to top the OWGR since its inception in 1986.

The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) turns 30 in 2016, and fewer than 20 players in the history of the sport have reached the mountaintop that is the No. 1 spot. Sure, the OWGR is not without its flaws. For example, we saw Tiger Woods hang on to the top spot long after his public fallout in 2009, exemplifying the computer’s favoritism toward a golfer’s long-term body of work versus a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ power ranking-type approach.

Nonetheless, the OWGR matters in terms of qualifying for majors and WGCs, and reaching the top is no easy task. In its three decades of existence, the ranking has churned out just 19 different No. 1 players. These number ones are certainly not created equal, and some even got there without claiming a major championship in the process.

This ranking seeks to evaluate the best of the best, taking into account historical context, competition, performance in major championships and so on.

So, while these 18 players all ruled the golfing world at some point, it’s time to take some of them down a notch as I dig into my ranking of the best (and worst) to top the OWGR.

Let’s begin.

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