A look at the players who’ve reached world No. 1 since the ranking began in 1986, noting the first time they made it to the top.
A look at the players who’ve reached world No. 1 since the ranking began in 1986, noting the first time they made it to the top.
Bernard Langer was the first No. 1 player when the rankings debuted in 1986 and his 1985 Masters victory was a large reason why. (Total weeks at No. 1: 3)
Three weeks after the Official World Golf Ranking inauguration in 1986, Seve Ballesteros took the top spot from Bernhard Langer and held it off and on until the fall of 1989. (Total weeks at No. 1: 61)
Greg Norman won his first major, The Open, in 1986, topped the Australian Order of Merit for the fifth time and the PGA Tour money list for the first time. (Total weeks at No. 1: 331)
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Nick Faldo was considered the best golfer in the world. He won more majors (six) than any other player from 1987-96. (Total weeks at No. 1: 97)
Ian Woosnam ascended to the top one week before winning the 1991 Masters and remained there just under one year. (Total number of weeks at No. 1: 50)
Fred Couples won the Masters in 1992 and became the first American player to reach the No. 1 position in the OWGR since they debuted in 1986. (Total weeks at No. 1: 16)
Nick Price won six times in 1994 including The Open and PGA Championship. He led the money list and was named the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year for the second year in a row. (Total weeks at No. 1: 44)
Tom Lehman held world No. 1 for a single week in his career, the only player to hold the top spot for one week and never reclaim it. (Total weeks at No. 1: 1)
At 21 years, 5 months and 2 weeks old when he first assumed the position, Tiger Woods remains the youngest player to reach the top spot. He last held the top spot on May 17, 2014. (Total weeks at No. 1: 683)
In 1997, Ernie Els won his second U.S. Open, defended his Buick Classic title and won the Johnnie Walker Classic. (Total weeks at No. 1: 9)
From 1997-2001, David Duval won 13 PGA Tour events, including the 1997 Tour Championship, the 1999 Players and the 2001 Open Championship. (Total weeks at No. 1: 15)
Vijay Singh was 41 years, 6 months and 2 weeks old when he first became world No. 1. He is the oldest player to hold the spot. (Total weeks at No. 1: 32)
Lee Westwood took the top spot from Tiger Woods, ending his 281-week reign, to become the first European world No. 1 since Nick Faldo in 1994. (Total weeks at No. 1: 22)
Martin Kaymer, the 2010 PGA champion, became the second German to become No. 1. (Total weeks at No. 1: 8)
Luke Donald became the third Englishman to top the rankings. He reached No. 1 without ever cracking the top 150 in driving distance. (Total weeks at No. 1: 56)
Rory McIlroy won the Honda Classic to make his first stint at world No. 1 as a 22-year-old. His longest run was for 54 weeks, from August 2014 to August 2015. (Total weeks at No. 1: 106)
Scott’s 2013 Masters victory and strong, consistent play in major championships helped him become just the second Australian (Greg Norman) to ascend to world No. 1. (Total weeks at No. 1: 11)
Jordan Spieth won two majors and nearly a third in 2015 to reach the Official World Golf Ranking. (Total weeks at No. 1: 26)
Jason Day became the third Australian (Greg Norman, Adam Scott) to claim the world’s top spot after he won for the fourth time in six starts, which included the 2015 PGA. (Total weeks at No. 1: 51)
Dustin Johnson reached No. 1 after his victory at the Genesis Open in 2017 and stayed there for 64 consecutive weeks. (Total weeks at No. 1: 91)
Justin Thomas ended Dustin Johnson’s 64-week run atop the OWGR in 2018. His 13th career win at the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational moved him back to the top spot. (Total weeks at No. 1: 5)
Justin Rose claimed it for the first time with a solo second-place finish [playoff loss] at the 2018 BMW Championship. Rose became the fourth Englishman to hold the No. 1 spot. (Total weeks at No. 1: 13)
Brooks Koepka claimed world No. 1 for the first time in his career with his victory at the CJ Cup. (Total weeks at No. 1: 47)
Jon Rahm joined Seve Ballesteros as the only Spaniards to reach No. 1, when he did so by winning the 2020 Memorial Tournament. (Total weeks at No. 1: 2)