Jon Rahm Finally Has Chance To Become World No.1 Again
The Spaniard can return to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking this week
Jon Rahm is arguably the best male golfer in the world right now but as things stand is currently ranked 3rd in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The Spaniard has won four of the last six tournaments he has played in including both of his starts so far in 2023. Rahm, according to Twitter's OWGR guru Nosferatu @VC606, needs a solo 3rd finish this week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines to have a chance of returning to the top spot depending on World No.1 Rory McIlroy's result in Dubai.
Rahm has spent 43 weeks as the world's number one male golfer, having last held the spot in March 2022, when he spent 36 weeks as World No.1 from July 2021. He was usurped by Scottie Scheffler, who was No.1 until October when Rory McIlroy regained the position with his CJ Cup win.
Rahm will have high hopes of making it three out of three this week, as Torrey Pines was the site of his maiden PGA Tour victory in 2017 as well as his US Open victory, his first and only Major title to date, in 2021.
The OWGR has faced huge criticism following changes to its system, even by Rahm himself who described it as "laughable." There was also a bizarre scenario last week, where World No.5 Patrick Cantlay could have reached the top spot for the first time in his career while No.4 Rahm couldn't.
"I'm going to be as blunt as I can. I think the OWGR right now is laughable," Rahm said at the DP World Tour Championship in November.
"Laughable, laughable, laughable. The fact that the RSM doesn't have any of the top 25 in the world but has more points than this event where we have seven of the top 25 is laughable.
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"The fact that Wentworth [for the BMW PGA Championship] had fewer points than Napa [for that week’s Fortinet Championship] is laughable.
"Look, I understand what they are trying to do with the depth of field but having the best players in the world automatically makes the tournament better. I don't care what their system says. I think they’ve made a mistake. They have devalued the value of the better players."
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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