WORLD RANKINGS AFTER THE IRISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP.

The World Rankings has been running for the last 24 years.Tiger Woods has been World Number One for the last 269 weeks(Over 5 years)and for a total of 611 weeks(nearly 12 years.)in his career.

Phil Mickelson has been No2 for most of the time that Tiger has been No1,but has never made it to the top.Lee Westwood looks the most likely to topple Tiger,as he has slowly closed the gap on Mickelson this year.

Ireland have 3 players in the Top 17 with Rory McIlroy (8th),US Open Champion,Graeme McDowell (11th) and Padraig Harrington (15th).

The other players who have held the honour in the last 14 years are :GREG NORMAN (331 weeks),NICK FALDO (97 weeks),SEVE BALLESTEROS (61 weeks),IAN WOOSNAM (50 weeks),NICK PRICE (44 weeks),VIJAY SINGH (32 weeks),FRED COUPLES (16 weeks),DAVID DUVAL (15 weeks),ERNIE ELS (9 weeks),BERNHARD LANGER (3 weeks)and TOM LEHMAN (1 week).



1 Tiger Woods.
2 Phil Mickelson.
3 Lee Westwood.
4 Steve Stricker.
5 Jim Furyk.
6 Ernie Els.
7 Luke Donald.
8 RORY MCILROY.
9 Paul Casey.
10 Ian Poulter.
11 GRAEME MC DOWELL.
12 Anthony Kim.
13 Martin Kaymer.
14 Robert Allenby.
15 PADRAIG HARRINGTON.
16 Louis Oosthuizen.
17 Retief Goosen.
18 Edoardo Molinari.
19 Justin Rose.
20 Ross Fisher.

OTHER IRISH.
---------------
80 Shane Lowry.
99 Darren Clarke.
135 Gareth Maybin.
159 Peter Lawrie.
168 Damien McGrane.
262 Michael Hoey.
349 Paul McGinley.
471 Simon Thornton.