Dustin Johnson Becomes 20th Golf World Number One

2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson becomes 20th golf world number one after winning his 13th PGA Tour title at the Genesis Open at Riviera. Here are all of golf's world number ones...

golf world number one

2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson becomes 20th golf world number one after winning his 13th PGA Tour title at the Genesis Open at Riviera. Here are all of golf's world number ones...

Dustin Johnson Becomes 20th Golf World Number One

The Official World Golf Ranking was created in 1986, formerly known as the Sony Ranking until 1997, with Bernhard Langer the first man to officially become world number one.

Since then, the #1 position has changed hands 66 times, with 20 golfers holding the prized position.

The latest of those is 2016 US Open Champion Dustin Johnson, who overtook Jason Day with victory at the Genesis Open at Riviera in what was DJ's 13th PGA Tour victory.

Dustin Johnson wins Genesis Open

Dustin Johnson wins Genesis Open

Tiger Woods has held the #1 spot considerably longer than anybody at 683 weeks, Greg Norman is in second with 331 weeks as golf world number one.

Related: Which of Tiger Woods' major wins was best?

Woods held the top spot consecutively between August '99 and September '04 and then from June '05 to October 2010.

Three Englishman have been world number one - Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. The USA lead with six men to have held the number one position.

Here are the 20 men to have topped the Official World Golf Ranking:

Bernhard Langer - 3 weeks

Seve Ballesteros - 61 weeks

Greg Norman - 331 weeks

Nick Faldo - 97 weeks

golf world number one

Nick Faldo, the first Englishman to hold the number one spot, was the first man to hold the position for a full year in 1993

Ian Woosnam - 50 weeks

Fred Couples - 16 weeks

Nick Price - 44 weeks

Tom Lehman - 1 week

Ernie Els - 9 weeks

David Duval - 15 weeks

Vijay Singh - 32 weeks

Tiger Woods - 683 weeks

golf world number one

Will anyone ever beat Tiger Woods' 683 weeks as Official World Golf Ranking #1?

Lee Westwood - 22 weeks

Martin Kaymer - 8 weeks

Luke Donald - 56 weeks

Rory McIlroy - 95 weeks

Adam Scott - 11 weeks

Jordan Spieth - 26 weeks

Jason Day - 51 weeks

Dustin Johnson - 1 week

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV