What Rank Is Tiger Woods in the World? Current PGA Standing and Career Context

As of January 2026, Tiger Woods is not ranked in the top 1,000 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He hasn’t played a full PGA Tour event since 2020, and his last competitive round was at the 2022 Masters, where he missed the cut. His world ranking has dropped off the official list because he hasn’t earned enough points through tournament play to maintain eligibility.

Why Tiger Woods Isn’t Ranked Anymore

The Official World Golf Ranking requires players to compete regularly to stay ranked. Points are earned based on performance in sanctioned events over a two-year rolling window. If a player doesn’t play enough tournaments-or doesn’t finish high enough-their points decay, and they eventually fall off the list.

Tiger Woods has played just five official PGA Tour events since 2020. His last top-10 finish came in 2019 at the Zozo Championship. Since then, injuries, surgeries, and recovery have kept him off the course. He hasn’t qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs since 2018, and without those high-stakes events, his ranking points disappeared.

Unlike active players who compete weekly, Woods hasn’t accumulated enough competitive rounds to stay on the list. The system doesn’t give special treatment to legends-it’s purely performance-based. Even if you won 15 majors, if you don’t play, you don’t rank.

What Was His Highest Rank?

Tiger Woods held the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for a record 683 weeks between 1997 and 2010. That’s more than 13 years at the top-far longer than any other golfer in history. He first reached No. 1 in June 1997, just months after winning his first Masters.

He returned to No. 1 again in 2013 after winning five tournaments in a row, including the Players Championship and the Memorial. His final week at No. 1 was in October 2010. He spent a total of 683 weeks at the top and was ranked in the top 10 for over 15 years straight.

At his peak, Woods wasn’t just the best golfer-he was the only golfer who consistently won majors. Between 1999 and 2008, he won 14 of the 28 majors played. That dominance is why his name still comes up in every golf conversation, even when he’s not competing.

Can He Come Back?

Technically, yes. But realistically, it’s unlikely.

Woods has said in interviews that he wants to play more events, especially the majors. He played in the 2022 Masters, 2023 Masters, and 2024 Masters-all as a special invite. He made the cut in 2022 and 2023, but finished well outside the top 20. His swing, once the most powerful in golf, is now limited by spinal fusion surgery and nerve damage in his leg.

To re-enter the top 100, he’d need to play at least 15 events in a year and finish in the top 10 in half of them. That’s a tall order for a 49-year-old with multiple major surgeries. Even if he played 20 events, the competition has changed. Players like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Scheffler are now consistently winning majors. The game has gotten faster, stronger, and more technical.

Woods still practices daily. He’s been seen at Torrey Pines and Augusta National, working on his short game. But he hasn’t played a full 72-hole tournament since 2020. Without competitive rounds, he can’t earn points. And without points, he can’t climb back.

How the World Ranking Works Today

The Official World Golf Ranking uses a complex formula that weighs performance across 140+ tournaments worldwide. It doesn’t care about fame, history, or past wins. Only results matter.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Performance in the last two years is counted.
• Stronger fields (like majors and PGA Tour events) award more points.
• Winning a tournament gives you a big boost, but the points fade over time.
• Players must play at least 40 events in a two-year window to stay eligible.
• Points are averaged across tournaments played.

For example, Scottie Scheffler, the current No. 1, earned 23.5 points from his 2024 Masters win and added another 18 points from the PGA Championship. He played 28 events in the last two years. Tiger Woods has played 5.

The system is designed to reflect who’s playing the best right now, not who won the most in the past. That’s why legends like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer are also no longer ranked-they didn’t play enough in recent years.

What Tiger Woods Means to Golf Today

Even without a ranking, Tiger Woods still drives the sport. When he plays in a major, TV ratings spike by 300%. Ticket sales for the Masters jump 40% when he’s in the field. Golf retailers report spikes in equipment sales after he’s seen on the range.

He’s not just a player-he’s a phenomenon. His presence on the course, even for one round, brings attention to the game that no other player can match. Young golfers still cite him as their reason for picking up a club. The PGA Tour still uses his name to market events, even when he’s not competing.

His impact goes beyond stats. He broke barriers. He made golf global. He turned a sport once seen as quiet and old-fashioned into something electric and mainstream. Millions of people who never played golf watched him win. That legacy doesn’t need a ranking to be real.

Where to Find His Current Status

If you want to check Tiger Woods’ current standing, visit the Official World Golf Ranking website. Search his name-you’ll see "Not Ranked" with a note explaining he’s not eligible due to insufficient activity.

For tournament updates, follow the PGA Tour’s official site. He’s listed as a "Special Invitee" for the Masters and the PGA Championship. If he ever enters a full-field event, it’ll be announced ahead of time.

There’s no official comeback schedule. He’s not on the PGA Tour’s entry list. He’s not playing in the Players Championship or the FedEx Cup events. If he does return, it’ll be a surprise-and probably just for one or two tournaments.

Will He Ever Be Ranked Again?

It’s possible, but it would require a major change.

He’d need to commit to playing 15+ tournaments in a single year, with at least five top-10 finishes. He’d need to be healthy enough to walk 72 holes without pain. He’d need to compete against players who are 20 years younger and have never known golf without him.

His body has told him it’s time to slow down. His last public statement on playing said: "I’m not retired, but I’m not coming back full-time. I’m taking it one day at a time."

For now, Tiger Woods’ ranking is zero. But his influence? That’s still No. 1.