Lies, damned lies, and the world rankings

It's been a topsy-turvy time at the summit of golf's world rankings. In the past 11 weeks the top position has changed hands on no fewer than five occasions.

During that period, Greg Norman (twice), Tom Lehman, Tiger Woods and now Ernie Els have all experienced what it's like to be number one.

That lofty goal should, of course, be the aim of any professional sportsman worth his salt. Yet in professional golf, determining who is the best is anything but easy or straightforward.

Since the rankings were launched at the 1986 US Masters there has been widespread ambivalence towards them. A rank bad way of doing things, some have said. Lies, damned lies and the world rankings is another phrase that has been used to describe them.

Yet for all the inherent faults of the rankings, no one has devised a better way of judging the relative merits of players who ply their trade on five different tours on five different continents.

And therein lies the main problem. The occasions when the best golfers in the world play together number barely half a dozen a year. On that basis, how can the rankings be regarded as accurately reflecting who holds sway? Yes, the US Tour remains the strongest circuit in the world. But many outstanding players from Europe and Japan choose to stay at home, where large pots of money are easier to earn than ranking points.

Recent modifications to the ranking system place a greater emphasis on current form and have helped to make them more plausible.