Tiger Woods drops off top 50

Feb 1, 2015. Tiger Woods has dropped off the top 50 ranking on the back of an 82 for his worst round as a pro. He will be out of the top 50 in the world ranking for the first time in more than three years.

Associated Press points out that if he doesn’t turn his game around quickly, he will be ineligible for a World Golf Championship for only the second time in his career.

It’s not been an easy comeback for Tiger Woods who returned to playing in early December at the Hero World Challenge, a tournament he also plays host to. Tiger’s game and his ability to score was in full display even as he was tinkering with his swing along with Chris Como, his new coach. Woods has not finished in the top 20 in any of his last nine events. AP reports prior to this stretch, his career-worst drought without a top-20 finish was four — from the 2010 AT&T National through the 2010 PGA Championship.

Woods was No. 1 in the world eight months ago. But after missing most of last year recovering from back surgery, and playing poorly in the few times he did play, Woods made his 2015 debut in the Phoenix Open at No. 47 in the world. He missed the cut by 12 shots.

Woods will be no better than No. 53 next week, and could fall even farther depending on what happens at the Phoenix Open and Dubai Desert Classic. Woods has not been lower than 58th in the world since winning the first of his 79 title on the PGA Tour at the Las Vegas Invitational in October 1996.