Golf star Liv Louis Oosthuizen made some interesting options when he was asked to blind the legends of the game.
The South African recently took part in a viral trend in which athletes give ten rivals and order them from one to ten, based on the size.
But there’s a catch: players have to make their lists in real time, without any knowledge of the names that will follow them.
This can lead to ludicrous rankings, like when darts superstar Michael van Gerwen was forced to rank Dutch striker Wout Weghorst higher than himself.
But Oosthuizen’s more calculated approach left him with room to become one of golf’s biggest icons, while 15-time major winner Tiger Woods finished in third place and Rory McIlroy eighth.
The match began with Oosthuizen placing seven-time major winner Arnold Palmer in fourth place, saying: “I’m thinking about the players who could be in front of him.” ยป
He was forced to take a similar approach to that of four-time major winner McIlroy, who drew the second name out of the hat.
Oosthuizen predicted at least six big names would feature, grimacing as he placed the Northern Irishman in eighth place.
The former British Open champion didn’t hesitate when 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus withdrew and quickly put the American at the top of the list, followed by six-time major winner LIV golfer Phil Mickelson in sixth place.
Oosthuizen was then given the Spanish legend Seve Ballesterosa, who won five majors and was widely regarded as one of the most original and exciting golfers of all time.
“I’d forgotten all these names! It’s tough,” Oosthuizen said before placing Ballesteros in seventh place. The 41-year-old was then surprised by the presence of women’s legend Annika Sorenstam, who secured fifth place on the list thanks to her 10 major tournament wins.
Most people would assume that Woods was a sure bet for second place, but that’s not the case. Ben Hogan, a Grand Slam winner and considered by many to be the greatest golfer in history, came in second.
The debate about who is the greatest golfer almost always revolves around Nicklaus and Woods.
When Bryson DeChambeau recently took part in a game of ‘Winner Stays On’, he picked Woods over Nicklaus.
But Tiger was handed third spot on Oosthuizen’s all-time list. With only No. 9 and No. 10 remaining, Oosthuizen was given the very simple task of ranking LIV Golf star Dustin Johnson and league CEO Greg Norman. Both have won two major titles, but Johnson reluctantly secured No. 10 and Norman No. 9.