Compared to other sports, where awarding a top-player honour often becomes a lightning-rod issue and the subject of heated talk-radio blather, golf’s distribution of player-of-the-year kudos is usually polite and muted.
Both major tours name a top player, and journalistic organisations in Britain and the United States do likewise, both with a global focus.
Over the weekend, picking a favourite this year became quite difficult.
Thanks to stirring, 11th-hour victories on Sunday by Henrik Stenson in Dubai and Adam Scott in Australia, the race for the top global player in 2013 is no longer a one-man act starring the world No 1 Tiger Woods.
Woods has five victories, including titles at three big events — the Players Championship and two elite World Golf Championships tournaments.
But most of his harvesting was done in the spring and summer.
Stenson claimed three titles late on the calendar, and last Sunday became the first player to win the points titles on the PGA and European tours in the same season.
First question is, Eldrick or Henrik?
“That’s a tough one,” said the former world No 1 Luke Donald, who led both tours in earnings in 2011.
“Tiger’s ahead in the win count. But winning both the season-ending titles is impressive and speaks to consistency and playing well at the right time in the US and Europe.
“So it might be Henrik, based on the recent results.”
Woods has earned a chart-topping 460 world-ranking points this year, while Stenson has amassed 448, far and away the biggest numbers in the game.
By comparison, only four other players have tallied 300-plus ranking points this year.
Iron man Stenson played an eye-popping 29 times and has finished for the year. Woods has one start remaining, at his unofficial invitational next month in southern California.
Meanwhile, Scott’s pedigree is growing. The lone member of the trio to have won a major this year, Scott won Australia’s Masters and PGA this month, bringing his victory total to four.
Scott, gunning for the rare Aussie Triple Crown, will play in the Australian Open next week against a field that includes Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Geoff Ogilvy.
Picking any of the three is fully defensible, even on an extra-curricular level.
Stenson completed a notable comeback this year after falling outside the top 200, while Scott was the first Australian to win at Augusta. Woods won the US money title and reestablished himself as world No 1, blowing past McIlroy by mid-season.
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