For a time early in 2023, we appeared set for a period where the name at the top of the world rankings would change regularly between Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.
However, that was before Scheffler found the most consistent and brilliant form of his career to throw his hat into the ring as a potential future great of the game.
The American had two spells at the top of the rankings in the opening months of last year before claiming the spot for the third time on 21 May after his T2 at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill - and no one else has had a look-in since.
Currently, Scheffler is in his 81st successive week as World No.1, and that will become 82 when the rankings are updated on Monday. That will be a significant milestone as it will take the 28-year-old past six-time Major winner Nick Faldo as the player with the fourth longest consecutive streak at the top of the rankings. That began after he won The Open on 19 July 1992 and ended on 5 February 1994.
Incredibly, Scheffler’s world rankings dominance even took in a lengthy spell where he had issues with his putting.
There was still strong performances along the way, notably with victory at the 2023 Hero World Challenge, which helped maintain his position despite his problems on the green. That was finally addressed before the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, when Scheffler made the exact change McIlroy had suggested live on CBS Sports, with him opting for a TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter.
Scheffler won the event and has barely looked back since, dominating men’s golf with a string of impressive victories throughout the rest of the year to cement his position at the top of the world rankings, even with the scintillating form of Xander Schauffele, who won two of 2024’s Majors.
Even though Scheffler is poised to overtake Faldo, he still has a way to go to move into the all-time top three.
Greg Norman is next in his sights. The Australian spent 96 consecutive weeks at World No.1 between 18 June 1995 and April 19 1997. Given the form Scheffler is in, which now includes victory at the Hero World Challenge, few would bet against him achieving that early next year. However, breaking into the top two is a far more daunting prospect.
Incredibly, Tiger Woods holds both spots, first with an uninterrupted 264-week stint at the top between 15 August 1999 and September 4 2004, and next with a staggering 281-week run between 12 June 2005 and 30 October 2010.
While it’s not unreasonable to suggest that Scheffler’s achievements may one day be comparable to the 15-time Major-winning legend, Woods’ dominance of the list shows that he still has a long way to go.
