Isle of Man to Switzerland: Obscure golf nations highest OWGR part II

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TARRAGONA, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 19: Tom Gandy of Isle of Man during day five of the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage at Lumine Golf Club on November 16, 2019 in Tarragona, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) /

On the Isle of Man sits just one man in the Official World Golf Rankings. That would be Mr. Tom Gandy, who checks at No. 1,668. That’s a three-spot jump since the last rankings came out!

He’s a player who has to feel a bit robbed about his career regarding the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gandy, 28, spent his first two years as a pro in 2018 and 2019 on the PGA EuroPro Tour. His first year he made 11 of 14 cuts, but never fared better than a T-6.

The script flipped last year as the Gandy Man missed 9 of 16 cuts, yet still managed five top-10s, including four in a row to end the year. That helped him finish 29th on the Order of Merit. He needed to be top-five to earn a Challenge Tour card.

He took his late-season momentum to European Tour Q School where he made it to the final stage. There, he finished 31st at 11-under-par. That was better than established pros like Matteo Manassero, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Marcel Siem, etc.

Gandy was one shot away from achieving his goal of bringing the Isle of Man flag to the European Tour.

Fortunately, he at least did enough to earn a full 2020 Challenge Tour card with the chance to play in some lower-tier European Tour events. He made one cut in three Challenge Tour starts, a T-25 at the Dimension Data Pro-Am, in three starts.

Gandy hails from a country of just over 80,000 people. Golf certainly is established here, but it’s a numbers game as far as who else will have a shot to represent the Manx on the big stage.

If you wish to help keep Gandy afloat while he awaits to resume his career, he has a SportFunder.com page that shares more of his story and offers a chance to donate or purchase gear.

Golf on the Isle of Man

Gandy grew up playing with his dad and brothers at his home course, Rowany Golf Club.

Per Golf Magic, Rowany is one of nine courses (eight are 18 holes) on Isle of Man, which is a mere 32 miles long and 14 miles wide. The Isle is situated between England and Ireland and is a part of the British Crown.

While this country isn’t the easiest destination to arrive to, there are some cool courses to choose from.

You could visit Douglas Golf Course, a parkland course designed by famed architect, Alister MacKenzie. Rowany once hosted a match between Greg Norman and Nigel Mansell.

Several courses are 100-plus years old and a few are right on the Irish Sea. Green fees appear to be pretty affordable, too.

One last thing before I let you go: Just check out how sweet the Isle of Man flag is. That is all.

DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN – NOVEMBER 09: The ‘Legs of Man’ flag is pictured on November 9, 2017 in Douglas, Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is a low-tax British Crown Dependency with a population of just 85 thousand in the Irish Sea off the west coast England. Recent revelations in the Paradise Papers have linked the island to tax loopholes being used by Apple and Nike, as well as celebrities such as Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) /

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