Top 30 players in Official World Golf Rankings
20 – Retief Goosen aka Iceman
A South African professional golfer, who has been in the Top 10 of the Official World Golfing Rankings (OWGR) for over 250 weeks from 2001 to 2007, Retief Goosen is considered as one of the best golfers of his generation. Goosen’s major achievements in his
stellar career include winning the 2001 and 2004 US Open.
Goosen got his first Hole in One at the beautiful Pretoria Country Club, when he was just 13 years old. That was motivational enough for Goosen to go ahead and win tournaments all over the world. Goosen made an outstanding contribution to amateur golf; he
has 30 amateur wins and was awarded Springbok Colors. The player turned professional in 1990.
“Pretty much whoever wins the tournament at the end of the week is the guy that putted probably the best. I turned pro and won Rookie of the Year on the South African Tour and then it took me two tries at the qualifying school on the European Tour and to
get my card and the rest is history. I remember winning the first time, you know, suddenly everybody expects, well, okay, now he should win every time he tees it up, win six tournaments.”
The veteran has won a tournament every year since 1995. The season of 2000 saw him add to his list of wins, the Trophee Lancome, and his standing was cemented by getting his first appearance at the President’s Cup.
Goosen showed his true colors as a world class player in the year 2001 which was also his most successful. He won the U.S. Open in a dramatic 18-hole play-off, which in the end he won by a 2-shot lead over American Mark Brooks. Only 5 foreign players have
won the US open since World War II, and Goosen is one of them.
After the major victory at the US Open, Goosen went on to win the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and won his third European Tour event of the season at the Telefonica Open de Madrid. Ernie Els and Goosen finished off the year by taking the South Africa into
the EMC World Cup play-off with Denmark, in Japan. He moved into the Top 10 of World Rankings for the first time in 2001 after he was crowned European Tour Order of Merit Champion and also won the Harry Vardon Trophy.
The 42-year-old took his second US Open title at the challenging Shinnecock Hills course; he won by 2 shots over the Phil Mickelson, Masters Champion. The year 2005 saw Goosen take three more victories; first in Denver at the International, second in China
at the VW Masters and then in Germany in the German Masters.
Goosen successfully defended his title in the 2006 at the VW Masters when he returned to China. The South African then went on to win the Qatar Master in 2007 and finished with an eagle to win by one shot.
Statistically, a win at the Masters seems a possibility as he finished 3rd in 2005 and 2006, and 2nd in 2007. The Africa Open was won in 2009 and although he did not win anything in 2010, his performance was very consistent and he finished
10th on the FedEx Rankings on PGA Tour.
Goosen is definitely counted amongst the elite multiple major winners.
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