We know the top-four ranked golfers are European, which makes the highest ranked American No. 5 — Tiger Woods. Let’s take the OWGR out of play since they make so much sense to humans and ponder over who the best American player is today? Not ever. Not last October. Not last April. Right now. In the present. I’ll reword — who’s playing the best right now?
Last night’s moderator Alan Shipnuck posed this question to the roundtable and we answered:
Shipnuck: Europe now holds the top four spots in the World Ranking. Good for those boys, they deserve it. A semi-related question: Who is the best American golfer right now? I say Kuchar.
Lipsey: Definitely not TW or Phil. I go with Dustin Johnson.
Shipnuck: I’m as bullish as anyone about DJ’s future, but he’s been awfully quiet so far this year, and the West Coast is where he usually makes a lot of hay. He needs to get some momentum going heading into Augusta.
Herre: I’ll go with Bubba, followed by Mickelson and Tiger. How’s that for a changing of the guard?
Shipnuck: Mickelson and Tiger? Dudes haven’t won anything in, umm, almost a year.
Godich: If it’s Kuchar, that pretty much sums up the state of U.S. golf. Plenty of nice finishes, but not enough wins.
Gorant: Stricker??
Shipnuck: Stricker?! We’re talking about golf, not deer hunting.
Gorant: The Deer Hunter was a great movie. It’s Oscar night.
Godich: Stricker’s not exactly lighting it up either. I’ll go with Bubba.
Dusek: The same Stricker who lost to Matteo Manassero in the first round?
Wei: Tough call, but I’ll go with Kuchar. He’s certainly the most consistent these days.
Dusek: The American golfer who is playing at the highest level is Bubba Watson (who won at Torrey Pines), followed by Matt Kuchar, who hasn’t won but beat Bubba in a meaningless match today.
When I said consistent, I forgot to include Kuchar’s stats — in five starts, he’s had four top-tens, including 3rd at Match Play, and his worst finish was T35 at Riviera.
Your turn…I’m hoping on a plane to Palm Beach to kick off the Florida Swing with the Honda Classic, so when I land, I’d like to see the space below filled with LOTS of your thoughts. Thanks!
(AP Photo/Matt York)
Tommy Gainey is the best US player currently playing with 2 gloves!
The guy with the best GAME right now is Dustin Johnson…he’s hooking up with Natalie Gulbis…enough said.
The problem with American golf these days is there are only 2 guys anybody wants to talk about, Phil and Tiger. What about Mark Wilson???? He’s already won twice this year.
Best US player right now is Bubba Watson….which isn’t saying much to be honest. Bubba is a great pro, but not outstanding, which sums up the crop of US golf right now: lots of promise, but no one yet prepared to grab the game by the balls and finish the job in the big events like the Europeans at present (USPGA Ryder Cup, WGC etc.).
Top 5: Bubba, Kuchar, Mahan, B.Haas, Mickelson
On the bubble: Levin
I guess I’d go with Bubba, but really everyone’s play this year has been sort of uninspiring. Kuchar is consistent but needs to get W’s and I’m not sure he has the game to get over the hump.
Most of the top Europeans are currently in their 30′s. Leaving aside Tiger, there seems to be a lack of Americans in their 30′s who are truly elite players. A fact which I think is reflected in the current OWGR.
This dearth of American talent in Tiger’s generation has been true for a while, but Tiger’s dominance, and the ability of Furyk, Mickelson and Stricker to remain relevant has hid it.
What is interesting is that no American player have managed to lapse Tiger yet.
I’m going with Kuchar. I don’t think that victories means best but look at his stats, it’s unfortunate that it’s true but he’s playing great and very forgettable golf. There is just too much money to be made by playing good but not great golf so why kill yourself on the range to get a half stroke better when you are already making 5 million/year on the course.
i dont know about the best, but Ben Crane has to be up there for slowest US players.
Calling for a cage match…Ben “The human rain Delay” vs. Rory Sabbatini
Funny how the question is RIGHT NOW and the roundtable actually threw in DJ and Stricker. Both have 2 top tens but haven’t really contended this year!
Anyway even if we define “right now” as “this year,” isn’t the obvious choice Mark Wilson? Two wins, and certainly he’s the player of the year so far?
Of course if we define “right now” as “right now,” we’d have to go with Bubba or Kuchar based on the match play.
Or maybe we define it by month? Bubba won and then came in 4th this weekend, so I guess it’s him.
Or perhaps we define it as literally today, Monday Feb 27, there must be some American somewhere who shot in the low 60s for some reason.
Come to think of it, this question is ridiculous.
My US rankings: Bubba, Kuchar, Wilson, Haas, Mickelson.
Kevin Na, JB Holmes & Ben Crane.
They take up some much of the TV airtime, I have kind of forgotten who the other Americans are.
I’m excited about the future of U.S. golf. Count the world class and potential world class golfers. You may showcase B. Watson, Kuchar and Mickleson but Mahan, Haas, Overton (great Rider cup showing), Dustin Johnson and Fowler are all capable of winning against the best Eurpean competitors–possibly in majors. This is without mentioning Tiger who surely will be a factor once again.
Who cares really?
Look at the story below about Bubba’s $500,000 watch for crying out loud! Professional golf is in a sad state. While I generally like this blog it is far too heavy on both mens and ladies professional tournaments and players.
How about more on real golf and the state of the game for the rest of us?
ps- Ryan Moore is a breath of fresh air and poised to break through if he stays healthy.
How about the state of the LPGA? After Annika and Lorena retired, who is going to be the new face of women’s golf?
Mickelson is the most talented by far, but he is a chronic underachiever and 40 is a tough age. Underachiever since his level of talent is way above most and he should have won 50 tournament and 8 majors by now. Tiger is an overachiever and has gotten everything possible out of his game until now. The era of Tiger and Phil is over, although both will win again. Of all the quality names mentioned above, no doubt the skill and talent is there; but where are the wins? One, two or three wins by the age of 30 is nothing if some of these guys expect to be remember in the grand scheme of golf. Go look at the list of most tour wins all time and you will be shocked by how far down the list (Tiger and Phil excluded) you have to go to find younger, American golfers, or any active Americans for that matter. Golf is going through a massive transition with a very uncertain outcome.
Christie Kerr is in my opinion the Women’s top golfer and good for the game. Barr, what would be your dream 4some.
Bubba Watson for sure. He’s easily the most consistent and seems to be contending more regularly than the others.
Gotta be Bubba, 2 wins over Kuchar’s one in the same span. Haas is a close contender as well, so there’s your top 3 and you can rank them however you want. I still think Bubba is more of a peaker on occasion, and not a consistent week to week leaderboard fixture ala Haas or Kuchar.
If right now refers to this year then Mark Wilson. Two wins and knocking out DJ at match play.
Bubba has been good and I think would be second as he seems to have the ability to win.
Kuchar at third but does seem to lack something.
Fowler. By far. To answer the original question.
Bets over the next year?
If Kuchar isn’t the best, he’s close. The young players don’t seem intimidated by Woods anymore and are coming into their own. I think this is going to be a good year. Not sure if Woods will be back to where he was before; he hasn’t changed his bad habits on the course yet….
Bubba bbyy farrr!!
Easy…for cage match, Crane v. Holmes…it will never end.
For best American golfer, that’s a little tougher. DJ is not focused, so he’s out. Did Luke Donald take out a passport yet? He has lived here forever. Got to go with Kuchar, although all it will take is a quiet Masters from him and a loud one for TW or PM and the talke will flip. I agree with all who say that these guys are tops in regular tour events, but when it comes to majors? We’ve got no one.
….
Mark Wilson? Not a single mention? Two wins in 2011.
Nick Watney is off to a pretty good start in 2011. If he’s not the best right now, he could be soon.
If I had to say right now, I’d go Bubba Watson.
what about Lumpy?
….
Mark Wilson has played 6 events in 2011. He has 2 wins, $2.2mm of earnings, #1 on money list, #1 in FedEx points. He’s about $600k in front of Bubba on the money list.
And this panel of so called “experts” doesn’t even mention him? Says a lot about the panel.
Mark Wilson is a hack!
maxfisher, you hit the nail on the head!
@Joel – You say Tiger Woods is an overachiever in golf. What is your definition of overachiever?. What are you smoking man.I guess Nicklaus is an overachiever by your definition. Say ,who is the achiever in golf then? The top American golfer in 2011 is the golfer who has won the most tourneys in 2011, regardless of talent, hype, popularity or what they did prior to 2011.
andre gonzales!! the best
peachtree – I used the term overachiever to mean that Tiger (Nicklaus too) have been able to use their skills, talent and determination to win more frequently and over a longer period of time than anyone else. Hence they achieved even more than the lofty levels of those that came before them. It’s the highest compliment. To play on tour already means you are a high achiever. Standing out from the crowd with wins over a period of years is a better way to judge the best Americans right now. I think it is going to take time to see if and when someone can even somewhat take the lead role.
my guess is “spanky” is actually andre gonzales