Four eyeing Tiger’s spot at PLAYERS

May 8, 2014: The four worthy challengers to Tiger Woods’s No. 1 spot at THE PLAYERS Championship beginning tomorrow, include 3 former champions and The 2014 Masters winner Bubba Watson.

Defending champion and current world ranking leader, Tiger Woods is recuperating from pinched nerve surgery in his back and had to miss the Masters last month.

The most prominent among these is world No. 2, Adam Scott, who only needs to finish 16th or better to overtake Woods. Henrik Stenson could become No. 1, if he is able to finish sixth or better by this Sunday. Both of them are ex-winners at THE PLAYERS Championship, Scott won the 2004 PLAYERS and Stenson, who ranks third in the world, is the 2009 champion.

[highlight]  I’m here to win golf tournaments, that’s been the goal, and from that you can get to No. 1 in the world if you win enough, said Scott [/highlight]

Scott could have other ways to reach No.1 spot and become second Australian to be No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking like his mentor Greg Norman. Norman was No. 1 for a total of 331 weeks.

“Look, I’m here to win golf tournaments,” Scott said in a PGA Tour report. “That’s been the goal, and from that you can get to No. 1 in the world if you win enough, often enough.

“I’ve had a couple good chances this year already and haven’t been able to pull it off, not because it’s been weighing on my mind, but I just wasn’t sharp enough playing the last couple rounds at a few events.”

Bubba Watson, The Masters winner, can replace Woods from top spot, if he can secure runners up finish by this weekend. He is currently placed at No. 4 after his second Masters win in the last three years.

Matt Kuchar, the 2012 PLAYERS champion, has to ensure a victory to move to No 1. spot from his current fifth position in OWGR.

“To be No. 1 in the world at anything is amazing,” Kuchar said. “To have a chance to be No. 1 in the world in the game of golf, I think all of us that play have those dreams. That’s cool to have that chance right now,” Kuchar told PGA Tour.