SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods craves major championships more than any other prize in golf, but he wants to be No. 1, too.
“Of course it’s important to him,” said Joe LaCava, Woods’ caddie. “Who doesn’t want to be the top dog? If you want to be No. 6, you’re probably in the wrong business.”
With his victory Monday at the Farmers Insurance Open, Woods strengthened his position at No. 2, while cutting into No. 1 Rory McIlroy’s lead.
Video: Chamblee trying to make sense of Tiger’s week at Torrey
Going to Abu Dhabi last week, McIlroy had a 12.36 world-rankings average, 4.20 points ahead of Woods. Woods carved a point off winning at Torrey Pines, moving to within 3.14 average points.
Woods reigned as No. 1 longer than anyone in the game, holding the top spot for 623 weeks. He lost the top spot to Lee Westwood in October of 2010.
Two or three more victories should help Woods catch McIlroy if McIlroy doesn’t answer. Woods said winning will take care of those kinds of things.
“That happens through a product of winning golf tournaments,” Woods said. “That’s how I got there in the first place. That’s how he got there. It’s winning, being consistent . . . In order for me to get back there, that’s what I’ve got to do.”