Golfer Supremacy Rankings: You and Tiger Woods are the golfers of the year

Here at the Golfer Supremacy Rankings, putting together a list of the most supreme male golfers of 2006 wasn’t all that difficult. For the most part, there’s just one male golfer that matters anyway. So, really, we could just jot down Tiger Woods’ name in the No. 1 slot, and then go play a rousing game of “Spin the Duck” with Heather McMichael, Dot Wong and the Cheap Bastard.

But we went the extra mile, as we always do in ranking the best of the men. and we did it all for You.

1. You

Comments: That’s right, You. Hell, if Time Magazine can punt and pick “You” as their Person of the Year, we can rank You as the most supreme golfer of the year. Why? Well, because You kick ass. You keep the game of golf thriving, at public courses, private country clubs and even the pro game. We love You. Without You, we’re nothing. And yes, we’re totally sucking up to You.

2. Tiger Woods

Comments: In all seriousness, Tiger is bigger than the game right now. Will the game go on when he’s no longer on the scene? Of course, just as the NBA did when Michael Jordan finally called it quits for good. But for this moment in time, golf is Tiger Woods. Like MJ was the dominant force of the game and created NBA fans around the globe, Tiger is doing the same for golf.

A year that saw him lose his father turned out to be another classic Woods year, as he won 11 times, eight times on tour, including six in a row, and two more majors, as he took home the British Open and PGA Championship, and cruised to another Player of the Year award. Tiger Woods is the man, period, and that’s no joke.

3. John Daly

Comments: It says something about Daly that he’s still one of the most popular male golfers in the game, especially following a 2006 campaign that saw him lose his PGA Tour card after missing 13 of 21 cuts and finishing 193rd on the money list.

Daly still thrilled, however, from his book, in which he admitted to losing $50 million or so gambling (his solution? Play the $5 tables). Then his merchandise trailer got stolen. Then his wife got sent to jail. Then he and his wife filed for divorce. Face it, no golfer other than Daly has ever before been featured in the pages of the National Enquirer more often Golf Digest.

And his fans should have no fear, Daly is a sponsor exemption waiting to happen, and will likely play as much in 2007 as he did in 2006. We ain’t seen the last of John Daly yet.

4. Australian Golfer

Comments: Like his female counterpart South Korean Golfer, Australian Golfer continued to flex muscles on tour in 2006, winning sevent times, including the U.S. Open. Australian Golfer made up 40 percent of the Top-5 golfers on the money listand was a threat week in, week out. Australian Golfer will bulk up its ranks on the PGA Tour even more in 2007, so look for even more thunder from Down Under, as players like Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott look to do the unthinkable and make a run at Tiger’s dominance.

5. Michelle Wie

Comments: After making the cut at the SK Telecom Open on the Asian Tour against men, Wie finished at about 313-over par the rest of the way out in her forays against the men. But face it, she’s going to keep playing in men’s tournaments in 2007 and beyond. She’s learning and some day will win men’s majors and play for the Ryder Cup team. Just ask her.

Random Factoid: A Google search for Tim Finchem gets 113,000 hits. Take out any mention of “Tiger Woods” in those stories, and you’re down to 25,100 hits. Conclusion: No other sports commissioner is as dependant on a single athlete as is Finchem.

–WKW