Tokyo: US golf star Tiger Woods says he is upbeat about regaining the world number-one spot with three events remaining this year, starting with this week’s HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.
“As far as the world ranking is concerned, yes, I’m not ranked No. 1 in the world,” Woods said after beating Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa in a nine-hole made-for-television exhibition match in Yokohama near Tokyo.
“In order to do that you have to win, and I didn’t win this year,” he told media on Monday when his world ranking was confirmed to have slipped behind Englishman Lee Westwood after 281 weeks, or more than five years, at the top.
But the 34-year-old could still regain the highest ranking at the World Golf Championship event which starts on Thursday at Sheshan International golf club in Shanghai, where American Phil Mickelson will be the defending champion.
“I’ve got three more events this year and, hopefully, I can end on a good note,” he said, according to TigerWoods.com. “I’m really looking forward to these events and, hopefully, they will spearhead into a better 2011.”
The 14-times Major winner’s seemingly well-ordered life was thrown into turmoil by revelations of extra-marital affairs that led to the collapse of his marriage and a five-month break from the game.
He has only two top-five finishes in his last 12 PGA Tour events and is now ranked just above PGA champion Martin Kaymer of Germany, Mickelson and another American, Steve Stricker.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.