Tiger Woods drops out of top 100 - is it the end?
With a terrible start to 2015, Tiger Woods drops out of the top 100 but we ask whether this is the end for the 14-time major winner?
Tiger Woods has slipped out of the Official World Golf Rankings' top 100 this morning following his continued absence from the PGA Tour.
After spending a cumulative 683 weeks as the best player in the world during the prime of his career, the 14-time Major winner has fallen to 104.
Woods hasn't played a competitive event since withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open in February and remains a doubt for the Masters on April 9. Having ended 2014 ranked at 32, Woods' drop has been staggering, even carding a career worst 82 at the Phoenix Open in January.
This is the first time he has been out of the top 100 in 19 years and he now sits sandwiched in between Thorbjorn Olesen and Jason Kokrak in the current standings.
Whether Woods declares himself fit enough to grace Augusta National next week remains one of the key talking points in the build-up to the year's first Major. Nike's recent unveiling of both Woods' and Rory McIlroy's clothing for the four days has prompted further speculation about whether next week will see a much-anticipated return.
While the general consensus is that Woods will never regain the type of form that saw him win back-to-back Masters in 2001 and 2002, there's a genuine split over whether he will return to challenge golf's new top order. The likes of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed are the front-runners of a new group of American players who look credibile contenders at this year's tournament.
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What's more, none of the current crop fear the 14-time major winner. Instead, it is fair to say they currently see him as a fallable former legend. It is unlikely he'll ever regain the aura he previously had.
Today Tiger Woods drops out of the top 100 for the first time in his career - an incredible stat given his 79 PGA Tour wins, just three shy of Sam Snead's record 82. However, upon viewing his chipping and putting in Phoenix, which lead to talk of the dreaded yips, the chances of him edging in front of Snead's total seems a long way off.
Tom Clarke joined Golf Monthly as a sub editor in 2009 being promoted to content editor in 2012 and then senior content editor in 2014, before becoming Sports Digital Editor for the Sport Vertical within Future in 2022. Tom currently looks after all the digital products that Golf Monthly produce including Strategy and Content Planning for the website and social media - Tom also assists the Cycling, Football, Rugby and Marine titles at Future. Tom plays off 16 and lists Augusta National (name drop), Old Head and Le Touessrok as the favourite courses he has played. Tom is an avid viewer of all golf content with a particularly in depth knowledge of the pro tour.