For first time in 19 years, Tiger Woods has crashed out of world’s top 100 golfers as new rankings see him fall to Number 104
American gold icon, Tiger Woods has dropped out of the world’s top 100 golfers for the first time since 1996 following an aggravated loss of form. The 39-year-old Woods, who spent a record 683 weeks as world No 1, is now ranked 104 in the official rankings. The 14-time major winner carded an 82 at the Phoenix Open last January, the worst result of his professional career, as he slumped outside the leading 50 in the rankings for the first time in more than three years.
Since then, the embattled golfer has continued a downward slide that resulted in him failing to qualify for this month’s WGC-Cadillac Championship, an event he has won seven times. And he has not played since he withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on February 6 saying he will not return until he can “compete at the highest level”.
Woods is expected to stage a come-back at the Masters which starts on April 9, but if he does forgo the tournament it will be the second successive occasion he has done so.
Woods was ranked 433rd when he turned professional in September 1996. The then 20-year-old jumped to 75th after landing his first victory as a professional at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational, the first of 79 PGA Tour titles.
By Olisemeka Obeche
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