Okay, let me walk you through how I put together my British Open power rankings for 2024. It’s something I enjoy doing, kind of a pre-tournament ritual to get my head in the game.
Getting Started – The Idea
So, first off, I decided I wanted to actually sit down and make a proper list this year. You see these rankings everywhere, right? Some are just based on world rankings, some on betting odds. I wanted to do my own, based on what I’ve been seeing and my gut feeling about links golf.
Digging for Info
The first thing I did was just absorb a bunch of information. I spent a good couple of hours looking back at recent results. Not just the winners, but who’s been consistently playing well, making cuts, showing up on leaderboards, especially in the tougher events. I checked the PGA Tour stuff, naturally, but also kept an eye on the DP World Tour guys, ’cause sometimes they get overlooked and they often know links golf better.
Then I thought about the course itself. Links golf is different. You gotta look at who plays well in the wind, who can handle bad bounces, who has that creativity. So, I specifically looked up past Open performances. Not just results at this year’s venue, but any links course, really. Some guys just have a knack for it, you know?
Figuring Out My System
This is where it gets personal. I didn’t use a complex spreadsheet or anything fancy. It was more about balancing a few key things in my head:
- Current Form: Who’s hot right now? Confidence is huge in golf.
- Links History: Who understands this type of golf? Past success at the Open or similar courses was a big factor.
- Major Pedigree: Some players just step up for the big ones. You have to consider who performs under pressure.
- Gut Feeling: Yeah, I know it’s not scientific, but sometimes you just have a feeling about a player. Maybe they seem overdue, or their game looks like it’s almost there.
I decided current form was probably the most important, but strong links history could push someone up the list even if they weren’t lighting it up the last few weeks.
Making the Actual List
Okay, this was the messy part. I basically started with a long list of maybe 30-40 guys who could realistically contend. Then, I started comparing them based on my criteria. It involved a lot of moving names around. It’s tough! You’ve got Player A who’s been playing great but stinks on links, versus Player B who loves links but hasn’t shown much form lately. Who goes higher?
I spent a while just shuffling the top 10 or 15. I’d put someone at, say, number 5, then look at number 6 and think, “Wait, is he really better than him right now?” Lots of second-guessing. I tried to be honest with myself about why I was ranking someone where I was. Was it just because I liked the guy, or did the evidence support it?
Writing It Down
Once I felt pretty okay with the order, I just jotted down a few notes for each player in the top tier – maybe the top 15 or 20. Just a quick sentence or two explaining my thinking. Like, “Solid form coming in, and his iron play should suit this course,” or “Loves links golf, always a threat here even if recent results are patchy.” Nothing too fancy, just enough to remember my logic later.
Wrapping Up
And that was pretty much it. It took a good chunk of an afternoon, lots of looking things up, thinking, and shuffling names. I don’t claim it’s perfect – nobody can predict golf! But it feels like my list, based on how I see things shaping up. Now, the fun part is watching the actual tournament and seeing how badly my predictions turn out! It’s all part of the enjoyment, really.
