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.
"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."
