A couple of notes on how the Points are tabulated. Each year points are awarded to golfers based on performance and number of players in the field. I won't bore you with all of the details (I've done that plenty of times in the past....and again here) and try to keep it high level (cause y'all so dumb). I've changed some of the underlying formulas since we last released these rankings (back in 2012) but the basics are the same. Golfers are awarded points for overall finish in the LBI, earnings across all money games (side bets excluded), and overall performance determined by the Myrtle Suck Factor (MSF....you remember that from last year right?). The maximum points may vary based on the number of golfers in the field, so finishing 4th in a year with 28 golfers will actually accumulate as many points as winning a year with only 12 golfers. Makes sense right? Well it should, because it's essentially the same system the PGA uses for the FedEx points. Totals are then weighted 66% to overall standings, 17% to earnings, and 17% to MSF. The LIFETIME MYRTLE RANKINGS are based on the aggregate total of these points across all LBI years. This methodology accomplishes a couple of important things.
- It rewards excellence. Coffee is for closers....or beer....or sweet tea vodka...or whatever else you want to sub in there (subs?). Bottom line, if you can fire 4 solid rounds under LBI conditions, you deserve the points!
- Aggregating the points recognizes those who are there year in and year out. Myrtle is an event where just showing up is a win. Even if you finish dead last every year since inception, you're still going to be accruing points and likely sitting somewhere in the middle of the pack. These are LIFETIME standings, and dammit, the Lost Balls Invitational ain't going nowhere, no time soon. Sure, we'll bring in some young hot shots here and there, and when they ask why they're so far behind in the standings, you can just look at them and say "you weren't there at 7am in the parking lot of the Gold Club back in 2008...you don't even know man...you don't even know."
- One good Myrtle can really move you up in the rankings. Sure, you can grind it out year after year and hang out in the middle of the pack, but it only takes one great to vault you into the top 10.
Lifetime LBI Rankings: Top 5
#1 Brett Mikoy
As a two-time winner, this one isn't much of a shock. Not only did Brett take home his second crown in 2013 but he did it in years with fairly deep fields....and while running, organizing and coordinating this entire heard of drunken, shirtless, unruly fools. Not even I can come up with a way to property quantify the difficulty in that!
#2 Matt Moden
Another two-time winner, Moden falls behind because his wins came in somewhat smaller fields but that shouldn't diminish his accomplishments. Moden also boasts one of the best career MYF numbers at 1.09...that means the man rolls down to Myrtle and plays almost dead on with his handicap (or....it mean he never plays golf outside of Myrtle, so he really doesn't know what a sober round feels like).
#3 Kevin Shea
Winning in 2011 was big, but the high finish in 2013 is what put Sheabone into the top 5. If anyone was built for the Myrtle grind, it's this guy. Other than the 2008 season where his DNF resulted in his having the empty the RV shitter, Shea's been a lock to finish inside the top 10. Except this year, where I will beat him.
#4 Steve Boswell
Another former winner, and another golfer who continues to put up solid finish after solid finish (despite having never played a good game of golf in his life). Bos' robot like mind may have trouble processing basic human emotions or effective decision making, but his rusty servos seem to always come through when it matters most.
# 5 Brian Ciarlo
As the only non champion to crack the top 5, Ciarlo is the mark of consistency showing up every year since 2007 and only finishing once outside of the top 10, with SIX top 10 finishes and FOUR top 5. Often this sort of performance flies under the radar, which is why I like these LIFETIME MYRTLE RANKINGS so much. Rewarding consistent play across the years....that's the spirit of the LBI. That, and booze (and boobies).
#2 Matt Moden
Another two-time winner, Moden falls behind because his wins came in somewhat smaller fields but that shouldn't diminish his accomplishments. Moden also boasts one of the best career MYF numbers at 1.09...that means the man rolls down to Myrtle and plays almost dead on with his handicap (or....it mean he never plays golf outside of Myrtle, so he really doesn't know what a sober round feels like).
#3 Kevin Shea
Winning in 2011 was big, but the high finish in 2013 is what put Sheabone into the top 5. If anyone was built for the Myrtle grind, it's this guy. Other than the 2008 season where his DNF resulted in his having the empty the RV shitter, Shea's been a lock to finish inside the top 10. Except this year, where I will beat him.
#4 Steve Boswell
Another former winner, and another golfer who continues to put up solid finish after solid finish (despite having never played a good game of golf in his life). Bos' robot like mind may have trouble processing basic human emotions or effective decision making, but his rusty servos seem to always come through when it matters most.
# 5 Brian Ciarlo
As the only non champion to crack the top 5, Ciarlo is the mark of consistency showing up every year since 2007 and only finishing once outside of the top 10, with SIX top 10 finishes and FOUR top 5. Often this sort of performance flies under the radar, which is why I like these LIFETIME MYRTLE RANKINGS so much. Rewarding consistent play across the years....that's the spirit of the LBI. That, and booze (and boobies).
The rest of the pack!
(note: click on the golfer's graph in the 1st table to see the detailed statistics in the subsequent tables)
To see how the point totals break down by category, check out the charts below. As always, if you have questions you should type them up and mail them to me at: Stat Nerd, c/o The Statametric Society on Smartness, 1984 Utah St., Suite #2, San Dimas, CA
Word!
~Saps
