What does it means to be ranked world’s top golfer?

England’s Justin Rose became the world’s best golfer, as ranked on the Official World Golf Ranking in September after finishing second at the BMW Championship in Pennsylvania, US.

This was the first time Rose was holding the top spot in golf and joined an illustrious list of only 22 players to ever be ranked No.1 in the world since the ranking was set up in 1986.

Is becoming world number one the ultimate prize in golf? Is it more important than winning the Claret Jug or the Masters or US Open? Is it even more important than winning the FedEx Cup and banking the $10 million purse that comes with that victory? Just what does being world number one mean? Rose won the Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he has been victorious nine times on the PGA Tour and 11 times on the European Tour and he was also the 2013 US Open Champion. How do all these accolades compare to being world number one?

In a tweet after the BMW Championship, Rose wrote: “We did it, Dad…World Number 1. Thank you so much to my family, friends and everybody that has helped me achieve this incredible goal.”

Rose lost his father, Ken Rose, in 2013 and has continued to dedicate his wins to him. He went on to say that becoming number one was the stuff of “boyhood dreams”, according to the PGA Tour website.

Luke Donald had the sixth-longest reign as world number one, but he has never won a major golf championship.

On the other hand, Phil Mickelson has five majors to his name but has never been world number one.

According to Rory McIlroy, currently ranked 5th on the Official World Golf Ranking, being number one is an ego thing.

“It’s not as if I earn more money because I’m the world number one or 39,” McIlroy told the New York Times. “But it’s just nice to be able to say that you’re the best in the world at what you do.”

Dustin Johnson, the current world number one agrees with McIlroy. “You’ve got to play very well for a long period of time,” said Johnson.

“Winning a major is unbelievably difficult, too, but you only have to play well for four days.”

Does being world number one have more meaning for some players? For example, Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, currently ranked 22nd, but has been ranked as high as fourth in the first quarter of 2017, becoming world number one would make him the first player from Japan to climb to that spot.

According to Jason Day, being world number one is tough.

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world, even though it is mentally and sometimes physically challenging.”

Day was the third Australian player to become world number one after Greg Norman and Adam Scott.

Tiger Woods dominated the Official World Golf Ranking for more than 10 years, holding onto that top position for a total of 683 weeks!

He was number one for 281 and 264 consecutive weeks! Both those streaks lasted over five years each! And it is these streaks that locked out Mickelson from that coveted top slot.

Lefty, as he is often referred to, remained in the top 50 for 1,248 consecutive weeks, a total of 24 years — perhaps demonstrating his consistency over the years (www.owgr.com November 2017).

Lefty is currently ranked 25th whilst Woods is now 13th. By the way, Woods was ranked 656th at the end of 2017.

According to Mickelson, winning the four majors is more illustrious than being world number one.

“Winning the four majors over the course of your career is the greatest example of a complete player,” he said.

“If you get hot for a stretch, you have the ability to be the number one player in the world. But to play those four major championships that offer such varied challenges would be the greatest example of an overall complete player.”

Rose won the FedEx Cup at East Lake, but he lost the top spot, having only been there for two weeks! But then again, his focus at East Lake was not the top spot, it was the $10-million prize that comes with winning the FedEx Cup!