Biggest Fallers In The World Rankings 2017

These players haven't had the best of years, including the likes of Jason Day, Danny Willett and Graeme McDowell

Biggest Fallers In The World Rankings 2017

These players haven't had the best of years, including Jason Day who has dropped from 1st to 12th.

Biggest world rankings risers 2017

Jason Day

Started 2016: 1

Current ranking: 12

The Aussie began 2017 as the world number one but had a difficult year with his Mother's health problems and his own injury struggles. Just like everyone else on this list he failed to record a victory in 2017, with his best finish coming at the AT&T Byron Nelson where he was runner-up.

Rory McIlroy

Started 2016: 2 Current ranking: 10

McIlroy also struggled in 2017, mainly with a rib injury which he picked up during off-season equipment testing in late 2016. McIlroy was second at the South African Open and British Masters.

Adam Scott

Started 2016: 7 Current ranking: 31

Since the anchoring ban, Scott has struggled to regain the form that took him to major glory and the world #1 spot. His best finish of the year was a T6 at the Players Championship and he's recently returned to using a long putter, in the style of Bernhard Langer.

Russell Knox

Started 2016: 18 Current ranking: 75

The Scot has fallen out of the world's top-50 after 13 missed cuts in 2017.

Bubba Watson

Started 2016: 10 Current ranking: 83

What a year it's been for Bubba. The two-time Masters champion surprisingly decided to sign a multi-year deal with Volvik to play coloured golf balls at the start of the year, however less than 12 months later he's back playing a Titleist. He dropped 73 spots outside of the world's top-10.

Danny Willett

Started 2016: 11 Current ranking: 100

The 2016 Masters champion has struggled ever since he picked up the Green Jacket. Willett has struggled with a back injury this year, left Chubby Chandler's ISM management group and split with coach Pete Cowen to join Shaun Foley.

Scott Piercy

Started 2016: 36 Current ranking: 114

2016 was a fantastic year for Piercy, where he was T2nd at the US Open and 2nd at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. However, he's missed eight cuts on the PGA Tour in 2017 and recorded just one top-10.

Andy Sullivan

Started 2016: 44 Current ranking: 121

The Englishman played in his first Ryder Cup last year and he hasn't really got things going since, dropping nearly 80 places from inside the world's top-50. He's had a lacklustre year with six missed cuts and just two top-10s.

Jim Furyk

Started 2016: 37 Current ranking: 171

Well, that's the price of Ryder Cup captaincy eh? 2018 USA Captain Furyk has dropped over 130 spots in the world rankings this year, but in his defence he has been struggling with a shoulder injury.

Brandon Stone

Started 2016: 72 Current ranking: 172

The South African prospect burst onto the scene in 2016 with wins at the South African Open and Dunhill Championship. However he has failed to build on that this year, missing 11 cuts and dropping 100 places in the OWGR.

Graeme McDowell

Started 2016: 82

Current ranking: 178

G-Mac has missed eight cuts this year and dropped almost 100 places in the world rankings. He had a torrid spell from the US Open to the Wyndham Championship where he missed six out of seven cuts.

Chris Kirk

Started 2016: 74 Current ranking: 182

The four-time PGA Tour winner has fallen over 100 spots this year after 10 missed cuts.

Ryan Palmer

Started 2016: 75 Current ranking: 188

The American's ranking in 2017 looks very similar to Kirk's, dropping over 100 spots as well. He's had 10 missed cuts from 19 events this year. He took time out in September 2016 to be with his wife Jennifer after she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.

Thongchai Jaidee

Started 2016: 54 Current ranking: 185

Thongchai has been one of the European Tour's most prolific winners in recent years, with eight titles overall. However he's missed 11 cuts in 2017 and slid over 130 spots in the world rankings.

Roberto Castro

Started 2016: 69 Current ranking: 214

Castro has had a miserable 2017 on the course, missing 14 cuts and losing his PGA Tour card.

Bradley Dredge

Started 2016: 92 Current ranking: 220

The Welshman has fallen outside of the world's 200 after creeping up slowly but surely this year. He did record a 13th place at the Irish Open and T15 at the Nordea Masters but there were also eight missed cuts and some low finishes.

Rikard Karlberg

Started 2016: 87 Current ranking: 221

The Swede has had nine missed cuts and two withdrawals in a season that was highlighted by a fifth place finish at the BMW International Open.

Ryo Ishikawa

Started 2016: 95 Current ranking: 227

The Japanese star has missed 15 cuts this year and slid over 130 spots in the world rankings.

Smylie Kaufman

Started 2016: 102 Current ranking: 232

Kaufman has missed 15 cuts and had a withdrawal this year, disappointing for a player who has a PGA Tour victory to his name and played in the final group of the 2016 Masters.

Harris English

Started 2016: 76 Current ranking: 244

15 missed cuts for the two-time PGA Tour winner in 2017 have seen him drop almost 170 places in the world rankings.

Fabian Gomez

Started 2016: 83 Current ranking: 407

The Argentine has won twice on the PGA Tour and reached a high of 54 in the world rankings not too long ago, although he's dropped well over 300 places down to a current spot of 407. Nine missed cuts this year and some very low placings are to blame.

Soomin Lee

Started 2016: 165 Current ranking: 710

The 2016 Shenzhen International champion had a great season last year but has surprisingly fallen over 550 places in 2017, and that's with a three-week stretch of T9, T8 and T8 finishes. He's had 14 missed cuts and a withdrawal this year.

Kristofer Broberg

Started 2016: 204 Current ranking: 792

The Swede beat Patrick Reed to win his first European Tour title at the 2015 BMW Masters but it's been a slippery slope since then.

Jason Bohn

Started 2016: 207 Current ranking: 1030

Since his heart attack at the 2016 Honda Classic, Bohn has unsurprisingly struggled on the course. He's missed 19 of 25 cuts this year and also had a withdrawal.

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