Tiger Woods reached an unfortunate milestone this week with the lowest world ranking of his career in the Official World Golf Ranking following his latest injury setback. The 15-time major champion has not played competitively since missing the cut at The Open at Royal Troon last July. His absence from competition and ongoing injuries have caused a major drop in his standing among golf’s elite.
Woods, now 49 and recently confirming a relationship with Vanessa Trump, fell to No 1,341 in the Official World Golf Ranking after the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic. This marks his worst-ever position, according to Nosferatu, a popular golf news account. His previous low was No 1,328 in November 2023.
Injuries have continued to trouble Woods. He missed the 2024 Masters and the Champions Dinner while recovering from a ruptured Achilles. In a statement, Woods shared that he felt a sharp pain in his left heel during practice, leading to surgery performed by Dr Charlton Stucken in West Palm Beach.
Since The Open last summer, Woods has remained mostly sidelined. He withdrew from the Genesis Invitational in February after the death of his mother. He had been expected to return at the Players Championship but chose instead to focus on rehabilitation.
Woods has stayed active by competing on simulators, including appearances for his TGL team, Jupiter Links. However, injuries dating back to his 2021 car accident and multiple surgeries have cast doubt on his future competitive prospects. Despite it all, Woods remains a symbol of resilience in the world
