The popularity and ‘trendiness’ of golfers in 2015
By Matias Grez
Updated
9:43 AM EST, Thu November 26, 2015
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Tiger Woods remains, by a considerable distance, the most recognizable golfer in the world, according to a new study.
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Despite a "trendsetting" rating of just 47% -- due to poor results and off-course controversies -- no other golfer comes close to the 97% of Americans who know Woods, says marketing analysis firm Repucom.
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Rickie Fowler enjoyed a successful 2015 as the chaser to golf's leading pack. His win at May's Players Championship -- often regarded as "the fifth major" -- was his crowning moment, and this celebratory kiss with girlfriend Alexis Randock sent the media into a frenzy. According to Repucom, Fowler is the "trendiest" golfer in the world.
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Jordan Spieth's year could not have gone much better, winning the first two majors and finishing 2015 ranked No. 1. His success put him second behind Fowler in Repucom's "trendsetter" ratings, although only 37% of Americans know who he is.
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Jason Day's tears and emotional embrace with his wife after breaking his major duck and winning the U.S. PGA Championship is one of the enduring images of 2015. Having come so close on previous occasions, his consistency in the majors helped him achieve an 80% "trendsetting" rating, level with Spieth. However, only one in four Americans recognizes the Aussie golfer.
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Two-time major winner Bubba Watson is fourth on the "trendsetting" list at 78%, while he is recognized by 39% of Americans surveyed.
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Rory McIlroy comes in at No. 5 with a 75% "trendsetting" rating. The Northern Irishman won the European Tour's Race to Dubai after victory in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, but injury and Spieth's form prevented the world No. 3 from claiming a major in 2015. Despite a relatively quiet year, the former No. 1 is recognized by 42% of Americans.
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World No. 8 Dustin Johnson comes in at sixth on the "trendsetting" charts. Just 21% of his fellow Americans know who he is, despite his long-term relationship with model Paulina Gretzky -- daughter of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
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Zach Johnson clinched his second major victory at the 2015 Open Championship -- eight years after his first. Only 23% of Americans recognize the Iowan, with 70% of those regarding him as a "trendsetter."
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Sixth-ranked Henrik Stenson is the least recognizable golfer in the world's top 10, despite winning the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs in 2013. Only 15% of the U.S. population know who the Swede is, and of those people 70% think of him as a "trendsetter."
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He won the U.S. Open in 2013, but Justin Rose has only a 19% recognition rating. The Englishman has a "trendsetting" mark of 64%.
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Veteran American Jim Furyk is regarded as the least trendy golfer in the world's top 10. Only 23% of his compatriots recognize the 45-year-old Ryder Cup star, and just 59% see him as a "trendsetter."