Tiger Woods, the undisputed world number one for a total of 623 weeks, has dropped out of the Top 100 professional golfers’ rankings for the first time since October 1996.
The American player, with 14 Grand Slam titles, had never been out of the top 100 since he entered that select group in October 1996, after his first victory as a professional, in Las Vegas, when he was 20 years old and at the beginning of a successful career.
Woods was last ranked number one in the world in May 2014. Since then, frequent back pains, affecting the ball striking, are affecting the golfer’s career. In January, Woods submitted at the Phoenix Open a card of 82 strokes in one of the rounds, the worst in his entire career as a professional.
Tiger is scheduled to make his comeback next week at the Augusta Masters after announcing on February 11 that he was taking a break because his results were not acceptable.
“I’m going to play the Masters; obviously it’s very important to me and I want to be there,” said the four-time green jacket champion.
“I’ve been working hard on my game and I’m looking forward to competing. I’m excited to be at Augusta and I appreciate everyone’s support,” Woods added.
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