Rankings slump continues for Woods
Tiger Woods, expected to announce later this week that he is returning to action at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday week, is out of the world’s top 20 for the first time since January 1997.
The man who held the number one spot for more than 11 years in 10 different spells has not played since May 12 because of knee and Achilles tendon injuries.
He has dropped from eighth to 21st in the rankings in that time and last Wednesday announced on his website that he will not have New Zealand caddie Steve Williams by his side on his return.
“I think it’s time for a change,” he said without naming a replacement.
In a television interview in his home country Williams, with Woods for 13 of his 14 major wins and shocked by the decision, said: “You could say I’ve wasted the last two years of my life. I’ve stuck with Tiger and been incredibly loyal.
“I’m not disappointed I’ve been fired – that’s part of the job – but the timing is extraordinary.”
Referring to the sex scandal that rocked sport at the end of 2009 Williams also stated: “I, along with a lot of people, lost a lot of respect for Tiger.
“I pointed out before his return at The Masters at Augusta in 2010 that he had to earn back my respect.”
Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia has earned a place in next week’s world championship by keeping his place in the game’s top 50.
Back to form with two successive top-10 finishes in majors and a play-off defeat in Germany in between, Garcia is 48th going into this week’s Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.
Alex Noren’s runaway win in Sweden moved him up from 92nd to 70th, but he already had a place in Akron thanks to his Wales Open victory last month.
Latest leading positions in the world golf rankings:
1 Luke Donald 9.72pts, 2 Lee Westwood 8.33, 3 Martin Kaymer 7.26, 4 Rory McIlroy 7.06, 5 Steve Stricker 6.94, 6 Phil Mickelson 6.27, 7 Dustin Johnson 5.75, 8 Jason Day 5.44, 9 Matt Kuchar 5.38, 10 Nick Watney 5.24
11 Charl Schwartzel 5.21, 12 Graeme McDowell 5.20, 13 Bubba Watson 4.77, 14 KJ Choi 4.71, 15 Paul Casey 4.62, 16 Ian Poulter 4.45, 17 Adam Scott 4.05, 18 Hunter Mahan 3.78, 19 Robert Karlsson 3.75, 20 Retief Goosen 3.67
Other leading Europeans:
22 Francesco Molinari, 25 Alvaro Quiros, 27 Martin Laird, 29 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 30 Matteo Manassero, 31 Darren Clarke, 33 Justin Rose, 40 Edoardo Molinari, 41 Peter Hanson, 42 Anders Hansen, 48 Sergio Garcia, 58 Fredrik Jacobson, 61 Thomas Bjorn, 63 Ross Fisher, 64 Padraig Harrington, 67 Simon Dyson, 70 Alexander Noren, 71 Raphael Jacquelin, 74 Nicolas Colsaerts, 83 Fredrik Andersson Hed, 87 Gregory Bourdy, 90 David Horsey, 94 Pablo Larrazabal, 97 Johan Edfors, 98 Jamie Donaldson, 99 Brian Davis.
