TIGER WOODS HAS dropped out of the top 1,000 in golf’s official world rankings for the first time in his career.
The 14-time Major winner’s 683 weeks as world number one are comfortably the most in the history of the rankings, but the American’s career has suffered a dismal slide in recent years amid ravaging back injuries.
Woods has not played in a professional event since February due to back trouble and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he was found asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes on 29 May in Florida, attributing his condition to an “unexpected reaction” to the medication he was on following surgery.
Though the 41-year-old recently completed a “private intensive programme”, it is unclear when — if ever — the icon will return.
Woods has resided at career-low status in the rankings for some time, but his slide passed a new, eye-catching milestone on Monday, as he was confirmed as the new world number 1,005.
In the upper climes of the list, Jon Rahm took seventh place from Henrik Stenson, as the sport’s leading players prepare for the Open at Royal Birkdale this week.
Top 10:
1. Dustin Johnson
2. Hideki Matsuyama
3. Jordan Spieth
4. Rory McIlroy
5. Sergio Garcia
6. Jason Day
7. Jon Rahm
8. Henrik Stenson
9. Alex Noren
10. Rickie Fowler
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Mind games from Cotter. Ireland will not take Fiji as a gaurenteed win.
This was the fixture where the injury troubles really started for Joey, hopefully he’ll be able to exorcise a few demons and kick on from here.
Lol, he thinks Ireland will not take this game seriously. I’m pretty sure Ireland named a pretty strong team, and the game is a sell out. Perhaps he should refrain from taking further swipes at us. Ireland has a high level of respect for the Fijians. We have been increasingly aware of how good they have been lately.