World Rankings Jan 5, 2015

2015 will begin with an Ulsterman, Rory McIlroy, a Swede, Henrik Stenson, and an Aussie, Adam Scott, in firm possession of the top three places on the Official World Rankings list.

The leading American, big-hitting Bubba Watson, will start his 2015 campaign in 4th place with two more Europeans, Sergio Garcia of Spain and South African-born Englishman Justin Rose entrenched in 5th and 6th place between him and the next best-placed American, Jim Furyk in 7th place.

Australian young gun Jason Day currently owns 8th place, but right up on his tail are two the USA’s brightest new hopes to win a major.

One of them is Jordan Spieth, who, along with McIlroy, must be one of this century’s most exciting 20-year-old pro golfers, and current World No 10, Rickie Fowler, who couldn’t quite make the major breakthrough he so often looked capable of making last year but who might well be able to do so this upcoming season.

In the meantime it will come as no surprise to anyone that McIIroy, who has declared that, if selected, he will, just as he did as an amateur, continue to represent Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games, heads the World Ranking list by the substantial margin of almost three points.

With the fall away of Tiger Woods – his most recent injuries and swing problems have seen the once utterly dominant golfing maestro tumble down the Rankings list to No 32 with nothing to suggest as yet that he is ready to hit back – McIIroy has captured the golfing throne with real aplomb.

He had a shaky spell in 2013, partly, he admits, because it took him time to get used to his new Nike clubs, and partly, which is something hasn’t admitted but which was quite clear to all the world, because he lost focus on the game during his romantic and much publicized liaison with women’s former World No 1 tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki.

Putting all this behind him, he came out firing from the hip last year, picking up, among a host of other titles, two more majors, the British Open and the US PGA championship, to take to 60 the number of career weeks in which he has owned the World No 1 Crown.

The Northern Ireland icon’s putting isn’t always his strongest suite, but his booming dives and great iron play are often able to compensate for this chink in his armour and are able to keep him up among the leaders until such time as he is able to rekindle some putting magic and sweep clear of the field.

Expect him to be a Tour de Force again this year.

The World’s Top 20 at the start of 2015:

1. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 11.04pts
2. Henrik Stenson (SWE) 8.13
3. Adam Scott (AUS) 7.71
4. Bubba Watson (USA) 7.27
5. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 6.70
6. Justin Rose (ENG) 6.69
7. Jim Furyk (USA) 6.62
8. Jason Day (AUS) 5.81
9. Jordan Spieth (USA) 5.75
10. Rickie Fowler (USA) 5.47
11. Matt Kuchar (USA) 5.11
12. Martin Kaymer (GER) 4.86
13. Billy Horschel (USA) 4.78
14. Phil Mickelson (USA) 4.47
15. Graeme McDowell (NIR) 4.16
16. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 4.12
17. Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 4.02
18. Zach Johnson (USA) 3.83
19. Dustin Johnson (USA) 3.78
20. Chris Kirk (USA) 3.76

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